Convergence
by Unresolved Emotions
Summary: As the forces of the Varden and the Empire collide, so to do the paths of Eragon, Arya and Murtagh. With each passing battle, the fight for Alagaësia grows more desperate and bloody. Secrets are revealed, truths uncovered and power obtained.
1. Tension and Retention

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

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Chapter 1: Tension and Retention

"My Lady! A message has arrived from the elves situated in Gil'ead," All eyes moved towards the flaps of the tent where a messenger held a scroll in his hands marked with the seal of the elves.

"Thank you," Nasuada said, motioning for the soldier to give her the scroll. "You are dismissed."

The group centered in Nasuada's pavilion mainly consisted of humans on the Council such as Jörmundur; representatives of Surda, namely King Orrin; as well as members of every race including Orik, Arya and Nar Garzhvog who represented the dwarves, elves and Urgals respectively.

Arya, Eragon, Orik and others watched Nasuada like hawk, watching each twitch in her face as she read the letter, trying to decipher the subtle facial expressions as good news or bad. By now everybody in the room knew that the elves had suffered a devastating loss, though none barring a select few knew exactly what happened.

The tension in the tent was palpable; tangible evidence of the necessity for the aid of the elves in the war against Galbatorix. Each and every person in the tent knew that if the elves deemed their casualties too high a price to pay to continue their campaign in the war, the last glimmer of hope that was renewed in Alagaësia could be smothered in a single letter.

_Do you think the loss of Oromis and Glaedr will dishearten Islanzadí_ _and the elves enough to push them out of this war?_ Saphira asked.

Startled out of his close examination of Nasuada, Eragon had to take a couple of seconds to collect his thoughts. _Nay, I am hoping that their loss will have the opposite effect. Maybe, by losing Oromis and Glaedr, the elves will have a new reason to fight, if not for their home._

_That would be the best outcome, but there is still a chance that the elves will abandon our cause and all will be lost._

_What should we do if that happens? We aren't strong enough to kill Galbatorix without the aid of the elves. The Empire's army won't be divided anymore because the elves won't be occupying their attention in the north. Our resources will be cut with the withdrawal of the elves. I don't see us winning the war without the elves, _replied Eragon with obvious distress.

_If Islanzadí does pull out of the war, all we can do is talk to Arya and hope that she can talk some sense into Islanzadí. Arya knows better than anybody that the destruction of Galbatorix won't end with the deaths of our mentors, but it thousands will continue to die until he controls every border of Alagaësia. _

_I know that, you know that, Arya knows that, even the elves know that; but they may turn a blind eye to the Empire for another century with this latest loss. The elves did this after Evandar died too. _

Saphira was about to answer but at that moment Nasuada placed the scroll on the table and leaned back in her chair; startling everybody out of their half reverie, half examination of Nasuada.

"What news of the northern front?" asked one Council Member? "Are the elves going to continue fighting with the Varden?" questioned another." Yet another Council member asked "What would have caused the elves to even consider severing their support in the war?"

"Enough," a musical yet authoritative voice rang out over the commotion of the group. "What has gotten into all of you? Bombarding Nasuada with questions as if all of your crops are withering as we speak and you need to tend to them as soon as possible." The power was evident in Arya's voice, causing the entire tent to reach a volume in which a pin could be heard dropping. Arya looked slowly around the room, looking each person in the eyes, making sure they knew that she wasn't somebody to be trifled with.

Leaning back in her chair, Arya regained her usual passive indifference, an icy mask over her face obscuring any emotions that might burst forth. The effect of her display was evident upon the Council; for they were all sitting in utter silence, too shocked to even move in their seats, let alone asking another question to Nasuada.

"Thank you," said Nasuada coolly, "As I was about to say, the elves will not drop out of the war." At this, the atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten up as if the various prayers the humans and dwarves said before each and every meal, or in the case of the elves, the songs they sing for life in the forest, seemed to be answered in a moment of relief. Everybody's face loosened up and the tension dissipated from the tent, leaving a refreshing state of mind. "Also, Islanzadí has said that although the losses to her people were great, she and the rest of the elves understand that Galbatorix must be overthrown and will be placed above any one person's mourning," Nasuada finished.

_That is a relief, I was sure that Islanzadí would not be so foolish as to stop elven participation in this war, but I had some doubts. _Saphira said her relief evident in their mental connection.

_Aye, it was a good thing they did not abandon the war effort again, for I don't know what we would have done without them._

"My Lady, I am aware I am woefully ignorant of the ways of the elves, but what was so important that it threatened their place in this war?" Jörmundur asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Arya swiftly replied, cutting off any further questions on this topic. "The issue at hand is not to be debated. Our secrecy remains important to us and we will not reveal all of the information."

This comment met with mixed waves of approval and disapproval Eragon noted; the approval mainly coming from Eragon, Saphira and Orik while the disapproval was mostly coming from human Council members. This was expected Eragon thought to nobody in particular, the humans were of course, more untrusting while the more seclusive races understood the importance of secrecy.

Despite these concerns, nobody voiced their opinion, letting whatever distrust they had evaporate into the air, no more a part of the meeting as much as Eragon was a part of the Empire.

Resuming what was meant to be the primary focus of the meeting, Nasuada introduced the topic with a background on the Battle of Feinster. She started with Eragon's entry into the fray and ended with Arya and Eragon's capture of Lady Lorana and the death of Varaug, the mighty shade.

Awe took some of the people there, curiosity in others; but there were several people who had already heard this story recounted several times before.

Eragon could feel the restlessness seep through the link that he and Saphira shared. _I tire of this banter and I wish to stretch my wings. It is awfully cramped lying in between these tents._

_Well then let us hope that the meeting will end quickly, Nasuada still hasn't gotten to the topic of this meeting yet. _

Sensing that the introductory explanation was coming to a close, Eragon switched his attention back to Nasuada. "Now that you are all caught up in our recent events, I would value all of your input on the decision that confronts us first: What do we do with Lady Lorana?"

One of Orrin's various advisors was the first to offer a suggestion, "What if we were to force Lady Lorana to swear allegiance to Feinster? It would get us additional resources and soldiers and we need to reinforce ourselves as we plunge into the Empire."

"A decent plan, but there is a slight flaw in the foundations of your idea," Orik said, his eyes betraying his emotionless face, showing his confusion of the best course to take. "What could we possibly do? We can't have her swear loyalty to us because the dark king already has control over her with the oaths she swore. We also can't kill her, it would be unjust, and would make us no better than those we fight. Locking her up would do her no good nor us."

"Fair points Dwarven King. A situation such as this raises many conundrums, none of which are easily solved." Said King Orrin. "Our best route of action would be to think of the unusual. Surely the king cannot account for every loophole that could slip past his devious mind. I am certain we will find the correct solution for everybody, we have some of the greatest men in all of Alagaësia."

Eragon listened to these important, yet meaningless; direct, yet long winded; simple yet sophisticated snatches of conversation from various nobles, kings and other important figures. How their sentences managed to do contradict themselves eluded Eragon. They spoke of matters that decided the fate of the Varden, yet the conversations were idle chatter, waiting for the correct solution to be conjured out of nowhere.

_That is the art of politicians Eragon. They can beat around the bush on any subject; blabbering on about nonsensical matters when important decisions are ready to be made. Biding their time until someone else presents a better solution. _Saphira said, sounding as exasperated as Eragon was of this chatter.

_Aye, but their adeptness at evasion and their incompetence at solving issues still astound me. _

_I suppose all we can do is to propose our own solution, and hope that they will listen to us; which I have no doubt they will, for we hold an enormous amount of influence over them._

Eragon and Saphira sat there, letting the bantering and bickering wash over their ears, a distant sound that they heard, but didn't listen to. Saphira was busy watching a line of ants moving in and out of their ant hole, claiming food and watching out for predators. Suddenly, a bird attacked the lines, scattering them and taking their food. Abandoning their hard earned treasures, the ants scurried back into their home, safe from the bird. The bird tried to breach the hole, but without avail. The tiny hole wouldn't allow him to pass through it and was too deep for the bird to break through. Giving up, the bird flew away, In search of other insects to terrorize with his beak and claws that was it!

_Eragon! I think I have found a solution for Lady Lorana. Quickly, _Saphira recounted the tale of the bird and the ants, explaining how the bird could not attack the ants within their ant hill._ That is how we will use Lady Lorana, we can give her an enchanted talisman to block Galbatorix's spells; and then she can order Feinster to join us. Though she would have to wear the necklace until we permanently break the bonds because Galbatorix's oaths would overpower ours and put Lady Lorana under his control again._

Excited by the possibility of Saphira's idea working, he quickly called for everybody's attention in the pavilion. "I think Saphira may have provided us with a solution at last," pausing as he heard intakes of breath from mostly everyone in the room, the exception of Arya who remained expressionless like usual, her face revealing nothing of her thoughts.

"She has suggested that we give Lady Lorana an enchanted necklace to override Galbatorix's. After that, she is free to order the men and women of Feinster to join our cause, replenishing our dwindling men and supplies."

Eragon heard mostly murmurs of agreement with this plan; however, some were unconvinced. "How would this course of action work Shadeslayer?" asked one of the countless advisors.

"By giving Lady Lorana a necklace that is enchanted with spells to counteract Galbatorix's oaths, Lady Lorana would be free to command men serving her to aid and join the Varden, bolstering our supplies and army." Eragon answered.

Feeling that Eragon's answer satisfied all the doubts in the tent, Nasuada clapped her hands saying "I think we are done for today, we are all exhausted and deserve to get a night's sleep."

Eragon left the pavilion and joined Saphira. _It's about time little one. I thought I would be trapped in this cramped area forever._

_Sorry, the babbling of politicians never ceases to amaze me. _

_Well, now that we're free, what would you like to do?_

Eragon looked up at the setting sun, its radiance lighting up the sky in a reddish-orange color; realizing that he was hungry after hours of twiddling his thumbs during the meeting, he said _I would like to go find something to eat, I am starving. Will you go hunt in the meantime?_

_No, I ate yesterday. _Saphira said, chuckling a bit. _It is a pity you humans can't eat enough food to last several days. It seems very inconvenient…_

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_Why must we attend meetings every day?_ Eragon grumbled. _Surely they can manage without us every once in awhile._

_That is not fair Eragon, everybody has to attend them, not just us. If we're going to overthrow the Empire, we must do it together. _

_You're ri---_"Barzûl!" Eragon exclaimed, pain shooting up his leg. Looking down at his feet, he located his source of discomfort; a piece of ragged metal was sticking out of the bottom of his foot. Blood was slowly trickling out of his newly acquired wound, splattering the ground with little droplets.

A small gasp of pain escaped his mouth as Eragon removed the metal from his foot. A thin stream of blood flowed from his small puncture wound. "Waíse Heill," Eragon said, invoking the Ancient Language. The wound healed itself as the words of healing took effect, skin knitting itself back together.

_What was that piece of metal doing there?_ Eragon wondered.

_Perhaps you should be more careful and watch where you walk before you step on more metal_, Saphira said, indicating the strewn pieces of metal laying on the ground in no particular order.

Looking around the vicinity for the person responsible for the pieces of metal, Eragon spotted Angela the Herbalist running around, picking up the tiny pieces of metal.

"Hello Angela, what are you doing with the pieces of metal?" Eragon asked, puzzled.

"Greetings Eragon," Angela said, "I am working on a new project for Nasuada. She asked me if I could help create a new weapon that will aid the Varden in the upcoming battles."

"I see, what is this new weapon?" Eragon asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Angela's projects were always interesting, testing unknowns of the world.

"I am trying to make a shell containing many little fragments of metals explode." Angela explained.

"But what will the pieces of metal do? And how do you plan on exploding the device?"

"The idea of the weapon is to throw the shell into the midst of enemies and the device will explode, flinging sharp metal fragments into the surrounding soldiers, killing or incapacitating them. As for the explosion, that is a secret, but I am combining certain powders and liquids that explode when mixed together." Angela said with a mysterious smile.

"Is it safe?" Eragon queried, skeptical of the safety of the bomb to the user.

"The question is "will it be safe?" not "is it safe?". Obviously it is not safe now seeing as where these pieces of metal fragments ended up," Angela informed him, waving the shrapnel in her hand.

"So, how will you prevent it from exploding in the soldier's hand?"

"I will devise a safety mechanism of course. I wouldn't be attempting this if it was going to explode when I use it," Angela said, chuckling at Eragon's concerns.

"But what kind of safety device would you use?" Eragon asked, pressing for information.

Angela waved his question off. "I don't know yet, I'm still tweaking the strength and explosive power of the weapon."

"Then how are you testing the device? Won't you get hit by the shrapnel?"

"Don't be silly, I wouldn't let my own experiments injure me. I am perfectly safe." Angela said, annoyance coloring her voice.

"Ok…" Eragon said doubtfully, mind still not comprehending everything Angela told him.

"Move along now, I have work to do. Don't you have somewhere to be?" Angela said, bustling Eragon out of the area.

"Yes, I suppose I'm tight on time now," Eragon admitted. "Goodbye."

Continuing the walk to Nasuada's pavilion, Eragon asked, _Angela certainly carries out interesting experiments._

_Indeed she does, if she manages to create this weapon, it could revolutionize the war. Soldiers could be killed in groups from a distance without the use of magic._

_Well then, it is a good thing she is on our side._ Eragon said with a laugh.

When they arrived at Nasuada's tent, Eragon noticed there were significantly fewer people than the previous day; only having select important people such as Arya, Orik and King Orrin. In the corner of the room, he spotted Lady Lorana, the focus of their meeting.

"My lady," Eragon said, bowing.

"Ah good, you're here Eragon. We would like to start our plan immediately, to speed up preparations for marching deeper into the Empire," Nasuada said.

"Did you have any idea on what spells you will attempt to block out Galbatorix's oaths with yet?" Arya asked.

"I haven't figured that out yet, but they would be akin to the wards protecting the elven cities, but not nearly as strong. They should be able to prevent any magical spells from affecting the user of the necklace."

As all of them sat around a table thinking of a ward to block Galbatorix's control, the utter impossibility of this task set out for them seeming to crash over their heads. Despite having magically gifted spell casters coupled with powerful minds, an ancient one in Saphira, the answer seemed to elude them.

"Elva is no longer protecting you Nasuada?" Eragon asked, noticing the absence of Elva in the tent, breaking the long silence that had grown in the tent.

"Nay, after you lifted her curse, she went off to fulfill her own agenda in the Varden, under the careful eye of Angela.

The conversation reminded Eragon of his curse on Elva. This slowly formed into a plan; what if he was to use a similar structure of magic to his spell on Elva to prevent magic from affecting Lady Lorana. Excitedly, Eragon stood up and retrieved the simple necklace Nasuada had gotten for this purpose.

Holding the necklace in front of him, Eragon invoked the Ancient Language, "Atra ono waíse skölir fra vanyalí bisaire." Feeling the usual drain of magic, Eragon's knees slightly buckled due to the energy required for the spell.

Lady Lorana spoke her first words of the entire meeting, surprising everybody in the room, "What did you do to the necklace Rider?"

Recovering from the surprise of her question, Eragon collected himself and replied "I simply guarded the necklace to protect its user from binding magic such as the oaths placed upon you. The necklace will not sap your energy while in use unlike how other wards work. The nature of the spell contradicts the normal rules of magic because it is used to prevent the usage of magic which in turn, negates any magical side effects it might have on you, including the energy loss."

"That was a good plan Eragon, it seems as if your lessons were retained and your training, however short it may have been, is paying us dividends." Arya commented.

Eragon was slightly taken aback; it was unusual to hear Arya compliment anybody. Eragon felt his ears turn slightly pink from the satisfaction of hearing Arya compliment him. "I just hope it's enough, much more will be required to defeat Galbatorix."

Striding over to Lady Lorana with the necklace in hand, he placed it over her head as she bowed slightly giving Eragon access to her neck. As the necklace settled on her chest, a new fire seemed to light up her eyes, looking as though they were devoid of life previously and were now full of vigor now.

Everybody in the room held baited breath, wondering if the charm worked. If it didn't, none could see another solution to this quandary. "Did it work?" Nasuada finally managed to ask.

"Yes I think so, I feel so liberated now, free of the clutches of the dark king, I don't feel an oppressive presence over my mind any longer. I thank you Rider for the service you have done me and Feinster. As planned, I will have my men join the Varden and our resources are yours now," Lady Lorana announced.

Nasuada smiled, "Thank you, this will greatly help the Varden and your help is greatly appreciated."

With that Lady Lorana got up and left the tent, leaving Orrin, Nasuada, Eragon and Arya in the room.

"Well, that's one step towards our ultimate goal of dethroning Galbatorix. I think that this is all for today, you must be tired Eragon after that, go get some rest." said Nasuada, looking pleased with the outcome of the day's work.

As Saphira and Eragon left the tent, Saphira said _"I'm proud of you little one, it appears as if the challenge of overcoming Galbatorix may not seem as futile as it seems."_

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Author's Note:

_Atra ono waíse skölir fra vanyalí bisaire_ – May you be a shield from binding magic.

Well guys, this was my first fanfiction, so I hope it is up to your standards xD.

I'm sorry if this started out "slow." This fanfiction will be a full book 4 and will follow along the lines of what I think will or is likely to happen in the real Book 4.

Please read and review3, constructive criticism is desired, but please refrain from profanity ;p.

Thanks and I hope you enjoyed reading!


	2. Fate, Luck or Coincidence

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

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Chapter 2: Fate, Luck or Coincidence

_Eragon, get up now, you have no time to waste. _

Eragon woke with a start, turning away from the bright sunlight permeating through his tent. Wiping the grogginess from his eyes and stifling a yawn, Eragon asked, _what is wrong Saphira?_

_Did you knock your head during your sleep? Today is the final day before we leave for Gil'ead to attend Oromis and Glaedr's funeral and you have yet to collect the herbs required for the ceremony required of the Master Rider. _Saphira replied with a hint of impatience.

_Barzûl! I completely forgot about that. It shouldn't take more than a few hours, the herbs we need are relatively common and we only need a small amount for the ceremony._

_True, however, it would be embarrassing to be unprepared once we get there, so it's best you start looking for them now. _Saphira said, ushering Eragon out of the tent and into the forests surrounding Feinster.

Walking up a faint trail into the forests, Eragon prepared a mental list of the herbs he needed to find. Assuming that the task would last him until lunch, he walked aimlessly in the forest, paying attention to every plant he passed by.

The hours passed and the sun rose higher in the sky, shining in scattered rays throughout the forest. The canopy of the forest, not thick enough to block out all of the sunshine, allowed a comfortable brightness which kept the temperature at a cool level. Enjoying his walk in the forest, Eragon realized that he only needed to find a few Siligion herbs until he completed the task.

Not seeing any Siligion plants nearby, Eragon furrowed his brows, trying to think if he had carelessly passed by any Siligion plants which were a semi-common plant with vivid leaf colors. Unable to think of any instance in which he had passed the vibrant plant, he was certain he would have remembered passing one.

Believing that the plant might not grow in the deeper parts of the forest, he angled himself to the west, aiming for the coast. It was a fairly long walk as he was only on the outskirts of the inland portion of the forest. As Eragon walked through the forest, he contemplated the stark differences between this forest covered area and the arid deserts of Surda, which were only a handful of leagues away. He reasoned that the slight climate differences were the cause of the deserts to the south, for they were much drier.

Reaching the coastline, Eragon started looking for the Siligion plant, hoping that it resided near oceans. Unable to see any, he walked up the coast, looking for the plant to no avail.

"Hail Eragon," a musical voice shouted, causing him to stop and look for the source of the greeting.

Turning around, Eragon saw Arya walking towards him. Wondering why she was here, he waited for Arya to reach him.

"Atra esterní ono thelduin," Eragon said, starting the traditional Elven greeting.

"Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr." Arya replied.

"Un du evarínya ono varda." Eragon finished. "What are you doing here Arya svit-kona?"

"I was walking along the coast to have some peace away from the chaotic scene of Feinster. I saw you walking, so I followed you because I was curious as to what you are doing out here." Arya answered.

"Oh, I have to do the funeral rites for Oromis and Glaedr because I am the only rider left able to perform the ceremony. I was out here gathering herbs that I need for the funeral and since we are leaving tomorrow, I have to find everything now."

"I see, I was going to leave the Varden today in order to reach Gil'ead for the funeral." Arya said, her words ringing with hints of remaining grief over the deaths of Oromis and Glaedr.

"In that case, would you like to come with us tomorrow so you don't have to run? We're headed to the same place anyways. It would seem like a waste if you had to run there." Eragon said, wondering if she would accept his offer.

"Are you sure it is alright? It would burden Saphira with extra weight and I don't want to think of Saphira as simply a travel tool." Arya asked, not wanting to be disrespectful towards Saphira whom the Elves regarded in the highest esteem.

"Yes it is fine, we do not mind having you with us; it might make the trip there more enjoyable." Eragon said with a little laugh.

"Then it would be my honor."

"What will Blödhgarm and the other Elven guards do about the funeral? Saphira can't possibly carry all of us." Eragon asked.

"They will not be attending the funeral because it is not possible for all twelve of them to arrive in Gil'ead in time and then return back to the Varden quick enough to perform their duty; however, they will be informed of the proceedings and will be assured that Oromis and Glaedr will be resting in peace," Arya answered.

"I see, I just wish everybody could attend because Oromis and Glaedr meant so much to everybody... But putting that aside, would you be able to help me Arya? I need to find the Siligion plant, but I have not seen any around." Eragon said, returning to his original quest.

"Raising her eyebrows at Eragon's question, Arya said "You won't find any Siligion plants around here, the Siligion Plant is an arid plant, only growing in the deserts. There is too much moisture in the air around here for it to thrive."

"Barzûl! What am I supposed to do now if I can't find the plant?" Eragon said, worry rising in him, wondering if he might fail his duty to his master to give him the proper funeral.

"What do you need the plant for in the ceremony?" Arya asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"Well most of the ceremony is a secret reserved only for riders; however, the Siligion leaf contains hints of copper in it which will turn fire into a greenish color." Eragon explained, only revealing common knowledge of the plants and not of the actual ceremony.

"I see, well then you might want to try the Asithium plant which also contains traces of copper within its leaves. Unlike the Siligion plant, the Asithium plant is easily found in the shallow pools of salt water at all times of the year.

"Then let me gather some Asithium leaves now so we can leave and head back." Eragon said gratefully.

"I will help you, two sets of hands is better than one."

Finding a safe spot next to a mountain ridge protruding into the ocean, Arya and Eragon found a pool of water with Asithium plants in it and began collecting the leaves. Trying to rip a leaf off of one of the plants, Eragon only partially succeeded in doing so because the moment he did, all of the substance in the leaf dripped out into the water, a streak of color washing away in the ocean.

Eragon heard a high pitched trill and turned around only to see Arya laughing at his attempt. Still smiling, Arya said "Watch me get the leaf and learn from it." Arya then bent down and carefully folded the leaf right before it met the stem and then ripped the leaf off. She then proceeded to tightly fold the whole leaf into a compact square that would not come undone without outside forces.

Eragon looked on in disbelief at the lack of leaking of liquids from the leaf. "Why didn't the leaf lose all of the liquids Arya?"

"By folding the leaf, I blocked the circulation of the veins running through the leaf which caused the leaf to seal off the veins, keeping the liquids in. By folding the leaf further, I made sure that the leaf was sealed several times and will never get unblocked on its own." Arya said with a slight playful smile on her face.

After they were done collecting the leaves, Arya handed Eragon the leaves she had collected, her fingers brushing his lightly as she placed the leaves into his hand. Quickly, she removed her hand from the contact, looking away as if slightly embarrassed.

Slightly fazed by the contact, Eragon said "Thank you very much for all the help, I wouldn't have been prepared for the funeral if it wasn't for you. I owe you my gratitude."

"It was nothing Eragon, it was a simple task for a friend." Arya said. "I am sure you would do it for me as well."

Eragon nodded his head in agreement with her statement. "Let us head back now, it is getting late and everyone will be wondering where we wandered off too. I didn't realize that this would take so long. You have my apologies."

Arya and Eragon walked back to Feinster in a comfortable silence, neither was uncomfortable and neither found it necessary to breach the silence. The sun was setting in the distance, making the sky have a deep blue hue with magenta streaks running through it. The darkness was cast over the forest and one spots of light showed through the tree canopy. Eragon looked over at Arya discreetly and noted that she looked more beautiful during sunset if that were possible. The darkness cast over her face made her appear more mysterious while the patches of light magnified the areas they shone on.

Looking away from her face for the sake of his sanity, he did not look again to prevent driving himself insane. Suddenly, flying past his face, a whirlwind of colors and the object left a streak of colorful particles in its wake. Trapping it in his hand, Eragon found that he had trapped the enchanted ship that Arya had created when she searched for him after his Helgrind adventure.

Surprised by the ship, Eragon promptly let it go, watching it fly across the darkening sky, leaving a rainbow of colors in its wake. Next to him, Arya stopped walking and watched the ship fly as well. "I'm surprised that the ship you created flew so far already." Eragon said, commenting on the fact that the ship flew from an area near Helgrind to the outskirts of Feinster.

"It is interesting that we encountered the ship again. It is highly improbable to even see the ship, due to its small size and the limitless areas in Alagaësia it could go, but yet we have seen it twice." Arya commented, her face revealing traces of slight disbelief and surprise.

"Lucky things seem to happen to us when we're together," Eragon commented. "Maybe if we're fortunate, Galbatorix will just drop dead from seeing the two of us."

"That would make our task much easier and Lady Luck might be the savior of Alagaësia. As if she does not have enough people kissing inanimate objects in her name already," Arya said, smiling a little at Eragon's jest.

"If only the war were so simple, peace would be achieved in minutes." Eragon said, still amused by their topic of conversation.

"It seems as if we've reached the Varden's camp." Arya noted. "I must go now, I have some matters to take care of before we depart tomorrow for Gil'ead. I have enjoyed your company today; I will see you tomorrow morning." Arya said, departing from Eragon's company.

Looking up at the sky, Eragon noticed that the sun was nearly set, causing the sky to be bathed in a red-yellow light, changing the colors of the various clouds floating above. Thinking back to his time with Arya, he felt the normal heat that rose to his cheeks whenever he saw her. Deciding that he needed to speak to Nasuada about his plans, he made his way to her pavilion.

Weaving his way through a maze of command tents, Eragon reached Nasuada's pavilion which was surrounded by the Nighthawks guarding Nasuada from any possible attack. "I am here to see Lady Nasuada, I have some business to discuss with her." Eragon said to the guard in front of the entrance.

"My liege! Eragon Shadeslayer is here to see you." One of the Nighthawks said.

"Let him in." A voice said from inside the tent, muffled by the flaps.

As the Nighthawks moved aside, Eragon walked through the tent flaps and saw Nasuada sitting behind a desk with papers flying everywhere and the whole tent having chaotic sense to it as everything was cluttered and disorganized. "My Lady," Eragon said, twisting his hand over his sternum in the tradition of the elves.

"Ah Eragon," Nasuada replied, looking up from her paperwork, "So you are leaving us tomorrow to join the Elves in Gil'ead?"

"Yes, I just came to see if I have to know anything before departing." Eragon said, mentally noting that Nasuada looked tired, too tired for her age.

"Well, as soon as you return to the Varden, we would like to start advancing on Dras-Leona before winter kicks in. We will be immobilized as will the Empire in the next month or so; the coming winter is looking to be harsh and the snowfalls will freeze supply lines and limit troop movement. We want to have conquered and settled in Belatona and Dras-Leona before the first snowfall arrives." Nasuada said, revealing her plans for the next few weeks.

"I see, though I am curious, how can you know if the winter will be harsh yet? We have not experienced the frosty winds or wet snowfalls." Eragon queried, puzzled by the prediction.

"We have some magicians who are more attuned to nature and they can sense that there are some particularly severe cold fronts coming in west of Illium. The cold fronts indicate that Alagaësia will experience a cold winter."

"I see, it must be useful to have magicians who can successfully forecast the weather for an entire season," Eragon commented.

"It is very useful, the ability to predict nature allows us to avoid disastrous situations or maneuver the Empire into weathering nature's storms."

"How far can the magicians predict into the future?" Eragon asked, his curiosity growing larger by the minute.

"They can only predict the weather in the future a month or two at the most. Temperature changes are easier to forecast for they do not move in spontaneous paths. Storms on the other hand; can only be predicted a few weeks in advance because they move more erratically." Nasuada explained.

"Did the Riders know of this information? It would seem useful for them since they could then avoid flying in particularly nasty storms."

"They most likely had some basic knowledge of the concept, but it was not advanced very far until a few years ago, when more magicians began joining the Varden."

"Would I be able to learn how to predict the weather?" Eragon asked.

"No, only a select few have the innate power to sense weather patterns. We don't know why some people are able to and others can't. But everybody who is able to is also a magician."

"I see, it is a pity that I don't have this ability, it would be very useful." Eragon said wistfully.

Changing the topic, Eragon inquired about the chaotic state of her pavilion, "I couldn't help but notice that your tent is rather disorganized tonight; what are you doing with all these papers and contracts?

"Ah, well I was looking at old records of Black Hand movement, old members and past activities. When they attacked me, we managed to destroy much of the Black Hand; however, we did not manage to ascertain the names of every member in the organization; recently, their activity has been increasing and I worry for mine and King Orrin's safety. I am examining these papers to search for any leads we might have missed. That is why you see me flying through papers in here." Nasuada said, smiling wryly.

"When I come back, I'll be happy to follow up on any leads you find on them. I'm sure with a name or two, I can expose the entire organization." Eragon offered, concerned for Nasuada's wellbeing, for she was working herself far too hard.

"Thank you Eragon, I shall take you up on that if I find any leads." Nasuada said, "But I do have another concern; how long will you be gone from the Varden? We cannot continue or campaign without you."

Eragon looked thoughtful for a minute, calculating the time needed to perform the rituals and the time needed to fly. "Well, we could be back in as little as a week, if the ceremony is fast and we come back immediately. I don't think the funeral will last more than five days, so I would venture a guess at a maximum of a fortnight."

"I see, we will plan our movements accordingly with your journey." Nasuada said, "However, be warned that we might already be occupying Belatona before you return, so look for us there. We have no time to waste with the frost swiftly approaching."

"I understand, we will travel as quickly as possible to return to you. We would not want to interfere with your plans."

"Thank you, you are dismissed, have a safe flight Eragon, I am sorry that your mentor died." Nasuada said, eyes returning to her work, a clear sign of dismal.

Eragon bowed his head at this and exited the tent. Walking through the Varden towards his tent, he extended his mind towards Saphira, rejoining their minds. _Welcome back little young, you took a little longer than expected._ Saphira snorted.

_Yes, well there were no Siligion plants around Feinster. I spent hours searching for it with no success. _Eragon admitted.

_Didn't you listen to any of our lessons little one? We extensively studied botany; you should've known Siligion plants don't grow around here._

_I forgot, I was more interested in performing the burial ceremony than remembering the locations of plants._ Eragon said defensively.

_So, how did you finish your task without the use of Siligion leaves? _Saphira asked, suspicion combining with her curiosity.

_That is a funny story. I was stumped by the lack of Siligion plants for a fair amount of time, so I traveled to the coast to hope and find some near there. Though I was unable to find any nearby. Fortunately for me, I met Arya while I was herb gathering._

_What was Arya doing out in the forest? It seems unusual that anybody would be in the forest where it is not protected by the Varden._

_Apparently, she needed fresh air and a peace of mind, the city is a tumultuous place after the invasion. Too many people running around and there are still some fights between the citizens and the Varden soldiers._ Eragon explained.

_I see, but how is walking with you peaceful? Trouble follows you around like a puppy._

_Haha, very funny. But it is thanks to Arya that I finished collecting the herbs. She advised me to use the Asithium plant instead because the Asithium leaves also has the minute traces of copper in them needed during the ceremony._

_I see, that was very fortunate for you then, that you happened to stumble across her, for you would still be out there if it wasn't for her knowledge._

_Yes, I am very happy we met; I don't know what I would have done without her. It also made the day much more interesting_. Eragon said with a smile, remembering the conversations they had.

A silence formed between the two of them, each reflecting on their day and the days coming in the near future.

As Eragon reached his tent, Saphira said, _you should get some sleep little one. We have a long day ahead of us and a long week._

* * *

Author's Note:

Well I hope you guys are enjoying the story up to now. I apologize if any Eragon/Arya interactions are slightly awkward. The third book left their relationship sort of in the middle of nothing and being in a romance. So I'm finding it challenging to write their scenes with the correct amount of tension.

I should update on Monday, and I'm usually pretty reliable when I give myself a deadline to post the next chapter.

Please read&review ;p, It makes writing much more enjoyable when I know if people like the novel or point out flaws in it(While being nice about it ;p).

Thanks for reading everything, hope you guys liked it.


	3. Three Long Days

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 3: Three Long Days

"Where is she?" Eragon grumbled, not really talking to anybody in particular, airing his thoughts into the air.

_She is probably running a little late. As Orik says, elves don't have a sense of time._ Saphira said, shifting her wings impatiently.

_When do you think she will get here? We need to leave soon if we don't want to rush to Gil'ead. _

_She should be here soon,_ Saphira said, reassuring Eragon. _She is most likely just doing some last minute packing._

_Perhaps, but I would think that Arya would be more conscientious of time because she is especially apt at politics and decision-making; where attention to detail is vital._

_I suppose everybody has their faults, nobody is perfect. _

Eragon opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment, Arya came walking up to Eragon and Saphira. "Hello Eragon and Saphira, I am sorry I'm late, I had some business to attend to before we departed."

"It is fine, you're not too late. But we'd best be on our way." Eragon jumped into the saddle on Saphira. Moving up in the saddle, he offered a hand to Arya, but she ignored his hand and jumped into the saddle behind him.

After Arya and Eragon secured their legs in place with the leather straps, Eragon felt Arya's arm wrap around his torso lightly, as if trying to have as little contact as possible. He felt blood rush to his face at the light touch, thankful that she couldn't see his face.

_It is going to be a long three days of traveling_, Eragon said, referring to the long hours spent with Arya in close proximity.

_You will survive; just don't do anything you will regret. _Saphira warned him.

At that moment, Saphira took flight, pushing towards the sky with her powerful legs, her wings flapping effortlessly, Saphira veered northwards, towards Gil'ead. Soon, they were high up and all the farms and houses below them looked like insects.

After a few hours of flying, Eragon suddenly asked, _when do you think Glaedr will get over his grief of Oromis? I do not want to interrupt him._

_He will most likely never get over his death, but you should try contact him before the funeral; I'm sure that Glaedr would want to be aware of the proceedings. _

_I suppose…Should I try talking to him now?_

_You could try, don't push him too hard though, it has only been a few days since the death. What do you need him for? I am sure he won't appreciate a social conversation._

_I am just nervous about the ceremony I guess. I don't want to make an error in paying them the respect that they are due._

_Well, I doubt he will mind talking if it is about the funeral. Now is the best time you'll have to talk to him. _

_Ok, I'll try to contact him now, I just hope I'm not intruding._

Extending his mind to touch the Eldunarí, Eragon lightly penetrated the orb, not wanting to intrude on Glaedr's privacy. As he entered the Eldunarí, Eragon felt himself surrounded by a cloud of darkness; a stench of death. The ghastly mist that permeated the Eldunarí suffocated his mind, trapped him in the place where nightmares dwelled.

Eragon was blind, eyes unable to penetrate the darkness. Every so often, he could discern snatches of random images: people dying, memories of before the Fall. Most of all, Eragon saw Oromis, years of memories; he saw the torture that Oromis endured when captured by the Forsworn and images of the fight with Murtagh when Oromis was sliced from his shoulder to his hip. The overwhelming presence of memories threatened to drive Eragon to insanity, unable to protect his mind from the flood of images, unable to escape, rooted in place.

Finally, after what seemed like years, the memories abated, giving Eragon a respite from the death and destruction, allowing him to regain his composure. With a shaking voice, Eragon managed to say, _Master, are you all right?_

Eragon waited a few minutes, waiting for an answer. None came. He continued to wait for what seemed like hours, days, weeks, years, centuries. Eragon was slowly losing himself in the Eldunarí, his mind crying out for a ray of light, anything that would break the suffocating darkness around him.

Unable to resist his primal instincts, he ran away from his fear, ran in any direction, trying to escape the black haze. He just kept on running, and running, and running; never escaping. Finally, after an eternity of running, he collapsed on the dark ground, exhausted.

The dark, deathly memories that had followed him caught up. They enveloped him, forcing Eragon to watch the images which they contained. He saw everybody in Oromis's life that he had cared for; die, slowly, painfully. He saw Glaedr fall from the sky, dying from the fight.

Finally, he felt pain. Pain like he never experienced before. What he felt was death, not the death of his body, for he felt that before, a reminder of the curse Durza inflicted. However, this death was not him, but his other half. The pain of losing your partner of the soul was indescribable. It was pure agony, insanity threatened to overcome him right then and there. It seemed as if the torture would never end, continual red, hot pain shot through Eragon every second.

Suddenly, without warning, the pain subsided, exiting Eragon's body quickly. Unable to move, Eragon just lay on the dark ground, praying to whatever god saved him. A white light shined on him; unable to shield his eyes, he just closed them. He heard a faint voice, the voice of Glaedr._ You should not have entered this place Eragon, it was too dangerous. My mind has not yet come to peace with itself; the Eldunarí is in chaos. The memories of mine were made into reality, coming to life in this place. I can hold them at bay, but not for much longer. It will take time to recover from the death of Oromis. That is why my Eldunarí is a dark gold color. As my mind makes peace, the orb will turn a lighter color; when it is a pure, brilliant gold, then you will be safe to enter again. Until then, do not try to come back again, there are things worse than death that linger here. Come back when the Eldunarí is a bright gold color; and we can talk without danger to your mind. Go now, I will release from this place. Rest, you have seen too much, endured too much. Your soul and spirit needs to heal. Go…_

Eragon felt himself thrust from the insides of the Eldunarí, thrown back into reality with a jolt. The moment he was returned to his flesh body, his mind collapsed, strained from the abuse he endured from inside the Eldunarí. Unable to move, he fell out of the saddle, his limbs not responding to his command. Unable to keep his eyes open, he drifted to unconsciousness while freefalling in air.

* * *

"Eragon… are you there?" He ignored the voice, preferring to stay within the depths of his mind.

"Eragon, wake up." A stab of resent flared at this voice, why couldn't they let him sleep in peace?

"Eragon, wake up, Oromis and Glaedr need you at their funeral, you are the only one who can perform the Last Rites." At this, Eragon gave up, he cracked open his eyes; he saw two very large green eyes. Disoriented, he saw up quickly, banging heads with said green eyes; they were much closer than he had anticipated.

The force of the contact knocked Eragon back to the ground. Clutching his forehead, he got up, slower this time and looked around. He saw Arya close by, sprawled on the ground in a similar way. Quickly recollecting himself, he said "I am sorry Arya svit-kona, you surprised me."

"It is quite all right Eragon." Arya assured him, rising to her feet slowly.

He was about to say more, but Saphira exploded into his mind at that moment. _Little one! What happened to you? I was so worried._

Instead of saying anything, he sent her images of what happened. He let her see the darkness, pain, and the words Glaedr spoke to him, comforted by the fact she couldn't feel the agony he had felt.

_I'm so sorry; I did not anticipate that the Eldunarí would incapacitate you like that. I shouldn't have told you to enter it._

_It is quite alright, I didn't know either._ Eragon said.

_You should talk to Arya now, we were both quite worried._

Eragon ended the mental conversation, turning to Arya; he saw her eyes on him. He detected slight traces of worry and …fear?

"What happened to you? You were stiff, unresponsive for hours. When I tried to talk to you, you didn't answer me. Then you fell out of the saddle." Arya asked, her usual emotionless voice gone, replaced with confusion and worry.

Eragon sighed, unsure of how much he should tell her. "I was in Glaedr's Eldunarí; I needed to talk to him."

"Did you get to talk with him? Or was he still in shock from his partner dying?"

"I didn't get to talk with him, his mind was blocked off. I stayed in there for a long time, hoping he would answer me," Eragon hedged, loathe to reveal to Arya the pain he endured.

"Why did you fall off Saphira?" Arya said, not fully believing that it was the whole story.

"I was disoriented when I came back to my senses, so I forgot where I was and fell off of Saphira." Eragon lied, hoping she wouldn't become suspicious.

"I see." Arya said, letting the subject drop, not wanting to press him further.

"So, what happened after I fell off? And how come I didn't die from the fall?"

Arya took a few minutes before answering, organizing her thoughts first. "After you fell, the saddle straps locking your legs in place kept you dangling upside-down under Saphira. I undid the straps holding me in place and I leaned over to grab your leg and haul you back onto Saphira. I held you in place until Saphira found a spot to land and we ended up setting up camp to rest the night."

"Thank you for preventing me from falling off of Saphira. I owe you my life Arya svit-kona."

"Don't worry about it; we have saved each other too many times to count already. As far as I am concerned, the scales will always be balanced between us." Arya said, waving her hand in dismal at Eragon's statement.

"I suppose we both attract trouble, don't we? A danger always finds us."

"That it does Shadeslayer, but that is only expected as we near Urû'baen," Arya replied.

"Why do you still call me Shadeslayer? We have both killed Shades now." Eragon said, amused at Arya's insistence to call him by that particular name.

"Old habits, I am still not used to being a 'Shadeslayer' either. I doubt I'll ever get accustomed to it either."

"Even so, it would get confusing if we called each Shadeslayer." Eragon said with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

_If you two are done, we should get going. We still have to fly today and tomorrow before we reach the elven camp._ Saphira said, broadcasting her thoughts to both of them.

"Give Eragon a few minutes to eat; I am sure he is starving by now, not having eaten for nearly a day. There is a pot of soup with some bread; it should settle your stomach." Arya said, pointing to the small pot over a fire.

Eating some of the soup, Eragon instantly felt gratified with substance sitting in his stomach. "Thank you for the soup, it was much needed," Eragon said, too busy gulping down the soup to say any more.

After several minutes, Eragon said "All right, I am ready to leave, thank you for waiting for me."

_It is about time little one, let us be off. _Saphira said, impatience coloring her words.

Jumping into the saddle which was never removed due to his accident, Eragon gestured for Arya to sit behind.

Arya gracefully leapt into the saddle behind Eragon, securing herself with the leather straps.

Feeling her hand lightly touching his waist, he asked Saphira, _why couldn't I be knocked out for another day, so I wouldn't have to be embarrassed?_

_Well I would much rather have you conscious and embarrassed than a dead log and blissfully unaware._

_It is too bad that I can't be awake and unaware at the same time. _Eragon said wistfulness creeping into his voice.

_One day little one, you will be able to be aware and not feel embarrassed, one way or another. Just give it time and everything will fall into place._ Saphira advised, warning against any hasty decisions.

_I don't have any other choice do I? I just hope I don't mess up before everything falls into place._

_I have faith in you that you won't pursue her without her consent. You have grown since Ellesméra. Besides, you are not magically intoxicated as you were in the Agaetí Blödhren. _

_Yes, I thankfully I have my wits with me, or I would be acting like a fool half of the time._

_As if you're not already a fool half the time, _Saphira said, poking fun at her Rider.

_Haha, very funny, we will see how you act when you're around a male dragon that you fall in love with. _Eragon shot back.

With that, Saphira stopped talking back, feigning annoyance.

Chuckling, Eragon patted her scales, amused when she growled in response.

Awakened from her thoughts, Arya glanced up at Eragon and asked, "Is anything the matter?"

"No, we were just teasing each other. Everything is fine." Eragon explained.

"I see…I am sure that when we arrive at Gil'ead, Islanzadi will wish to speak with you. She will want to know of how the Varden fared in Feinster."

"Yes, undoubtedly she will, but I am sure Queen Islanzadi will want to know of your safety as well."

"I suppose," Arya said, eyes crinkling at the corners at the mention of her relationship with her mother.

The group traveled in relative quiet as they saw the sun rise to its peak and then slowly set. Morning turned to day which turned to evening as they traversed the open sky, holding front row seats to nature's greatest beauty.

_We should probably set up camp Saphira; it is getting dark and finding a good spot to rest at in the dark is not an appealing thought._ Eragon said after the sun had nearly set.

_That would be a good idea, keep a lookout for a suitable campsite._

Scanning the ground below him, Eragon saw a clearing with a cliff on one side and forest surrounding the other sides. _What about that area over there?_ Eragon asked, sending her a mental image of the clearing.

_All right, I'll land there._ Saphira said; content with the location Eragon chose.

Angling her body towards the ground, Saphira glided towards the clearing, alighting lightly on the dirt.

"Come Arya, we are going to set up camp here." Eragon said, hopping off Saphira and landing on the balls of his feet.

"How much farther do we have left to fly to Gil'ead?" Arya asked, walking behind Eragon.

"We should arrive sometime in the mid-afternoon tomorrow. It will give us time to rest before the funeral," Eragon replied, stopping at a group of rocks to sit on them.

Arya nodded her head, accepting Eragon's answer. As she did, Eragon's stomach let out a low rumble.

Eragon rubbed his stomach while smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I guess I'm hungry after a long flight. I'm going to get out some of the bread I packed, do you want some?"

"Yes I would, I am quite hungry too; flying for nearly half a day is very exhausting."

Pulling out some bread from his pack, Eragon handed her a loaf, watching it get snatched out of his hand rather quickly. Smirking, Eragon said, "You don't seem to be in control like you normally are."

"I am quite hungry." Arya said defensively between bites of bread. "But I am also not the one who is making audible hunger pangs."

Shaking his head in amusement, Eragon retrieved his own piece of bread from his pack and started chewing it vigorously. When he finished, he leaned back on the rocks, his stomach content.

Gazing up at the stars littering the night sky, Eragon said, "We should get some sleep. We have a long couple of days ahead of us. I'll take the first watch. I got more rest when I collapsed yesterday."

"Okay, wake me up when it is my watch," Arya said, agreeing with Eragon's proposal.

"Goodnight Arya," Eragon said as she laid down on her bedroll and fell into an unconscious state.

Eragon sat on the ground, watching the shadows in case they were attacked. He thought of Oromis and Glaedr, what they meant to him, what they did for him and what he was about to do for them.

* * *

"Here," Arya said, throwing a loaf of bread to Eragon.

"Thank you," Eragon said, catching the bread. "We should get going as soon as we are done eating."

"Yes we should, we have news to tell my mother and I am sure you will want some rest before the funeral tomorrow."

Eragon quickly finished his bread and waited for Arya to finish. When they were both ready, they took their respective seats in the saddle. _And good morning to you too,_ Saphira said grumpily to both of them as they secured themselves on her back.

"What is that up ahead?" Eragon asked several hours into the flight, pointing at a dark object in the distance.

"Hmm," Arya said, scanning the horizon. "That looks like the fortress situated in Gil'ead. We should reach it soon."

"It appears like our journey is almost complete then." Eragon said, relieved that a dozen mind-numbing hours of flying everyday was finally over, for now at least.

Eragon felt the wind shooting past his face change direction slightly as Saphira angled herself downwards towards Gil'ead. The gentle slope of their path towards Gil'ead continued for several minutes. Soon enough, Saphira was mere feet above the ground, where several elves were gathered in anticipation of her arrival.

Saphira landed near the elves, buffeting everybody on the ground with gusts of wind. Jumping off Saphira, Eragon and Arya landed lightly on the ground and walked towards the waiting elves.

Eragon looked towards Queen Islanzadí and pressed his hand upon his sternum. "Atra esterní ono thelduin."

"Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr," Islanzadí replied, continuing the traditional elven greeting.

"Un du evarínya ono varda," Eragon finished.

Islanzadí turned to Arya and repeated the same dialogue with her before beckoning for them to follow her. She walked to an empty tent, leaving her guards and advisors behind. Motioning towards the chairs in the tent, she took a seat herself, folding her hands in lap. "How did the Varden fare in Feinster?"

"Well," Eragon started, shifting in the seat to get into a comfortable position, "The overall battle for the city was a success; however, certain events that took place raise troubling questions."

"What sort of events are you referring to?"

"At the end of the battle, Arya, Saphira and I headed up to the keep to capture Lady Lorana, the governor of Feinster. In the keep, we encountered three of Galbatorix's pet magicians who were summoning a Shade."

At this, Islanzadí's eyes opened wide, horrified at the entrance of another Shade into the tangled web of Alagaësia's issues. "We each tried to attack the magicians who were summoning the spirits in hopes of preventing the magic from being successful. Unfortunately, they managed to summon forth Varaug, the Shade." Eragon said.

"We were immediately engaged in a fight with Varaug, although Arya was the only one to attack for a few minutes due to…unforeseen problems." The blood rushed from Islanzadí's face as Eragon said this, horrified that her daughter was fighting a powerful Shade alone.

"When I regained consciousness, I mentally attacked the Shade to distract him from Arya. After he was left unguarded, Arya stabbed him through the heart," Eragon finished, quickly compressing the entire fight into a few short sentences.

Queen Islanzadí sat in shock, mind reeling from the succinct explanation Eragon just gave. "You and Arya killed a Shade without dying?" She finally managed to say, her usual cool façade gone, replaced with one filled with surprise and shock.

"Yes…somehow, Varaug was far stronger than Durza was." Eragon admitted.

"I do not know what to say. You killed a Shade, yet you did not die." She said to Arya, voice containing hints of disbelief in it.

"It was thanks to Eragon that I was able to stab Varaug through the heart. If we did not fight together, we both would have died," Arya said, crediting Eragon with the credit he was due.

"We have more pressing issues to address right now, such as the reasons behind Galbatorix's magicians summoning Shades." Eragon said, dismissing Arya's acknowledgement of him.

"Yes, this latest development is indeed quite disturbing. If Galbatorix summons more Shades as we start to press towards Urû'baen, we will be hard pressed to repel them," Islanzadí said, worry etched into the lines on her forehead.

"But that would be suicide! Everybody in those towns would die, regardless of which side they are on." Eragon protested, appalled by the notion.

"Galbatorix will not care, if he can decimate the Varden, he will sacrifice any amount of his people to achieve it," Arya explained.

"So what can we do to prevent that from happening?" Eragon asked, horrified by the implications that were presented.

"There is nothing we can do; all we can hope for is that there are multiple elves nearby when and or if they are summoned. With the power of several elves, the Shade would be taken down with fewer casualties," Arya replied, proposing a solution that minimized the losses, but did not eliminate them.

"It would be best to drop this subject for now; there is nothing we can do to prevent it right now." Queen Islanzadí proposed. "Since Feinster is now under the control of the Varden, what does Nasuada plan to do now?"

"She would like to plan a final attack on the Empire before the unusually cold frosts come in this winter and immobilize the armies." Eragon revealed.

"I see, it would help greatly to take over another key city before the winter comes." Islanzadí said, agreeing with Nasuada's plan of action.

"So, I see you got a new sword." Islanzadí said changing the topic; eyes looking shrewdly at Eragon's newly-made weapon.

"Yes, Rhunön forged it for me, bypassing her oaths in the Ancient Language by using my body to create the sword." At this, Arya looked up, interested in the topic, for Eragon never got around to telling her how he got his new sword.

"Yes, I heard of your little…adventures in Ellesméra; attacking the Menoa Tree to retrieve a block of brightsteel from beneath its roots." Queen Islanzadí said critically, disapproving of the methods used to get the valuable ore.

"You did what to the Menoa Tree?" Arya asked; slight disbelief and anger present in her voice.

"Saphira attacked the tree a little bit," Eragon said sheepishly, wishing that the queen had never broached this topic very much. "But we gave her our energy to repair the damage done."

"We will talk about this another time Eragon; we don't have the time now." Arya said, something he couldn't identify was in her eyes. "One last thing mother, why did you withhold crucial information about the Eldunarí from the Varden?"

"It was not a secret for humans to know." Islanzadí said; her voice hard.

"They were fighting the Empire, much time could have been saved had you given them the information they needed," Arya said, her anger redirected towards her mother.

"I did not, and still do not think that the Varden needed to have the information. Only Eragon can take Galbatorix down and he is now armed with that information," the queen said; words a sharp contrast from the warm greeting they had received to the icy replies they now were answered with.

"They were fighting against an enemy who had unlimited power and you did not think it relevant to tell them why he was nearly invincible?" Arya's voice shook in disbelief.

"And what would they have done with the information? Just like how I could not act with the information, neither would they have been able to," Islanzadí replied.

"The elves and the Varden are supposed to be allies, they have supplied you with information without a second thought, yet you withhold the most crucial piece of information in this war thus far," Arya said.

"Enough! My reasons were my own and nothing you do can change the past, I advise you to get some rest before tomorrow," Islanzadí said, dismissing her own daughter from her presence.

Arya stormed out of the tent, angry at her mother. Eragon looked at the tent flaps there were moving angrily from her departure. "I should get some rest too Queen Islanzadí. If you will excuse me," he said bowing to her. Departing the tent, he walked to the tent they allocated for him, preparing for the day that was to come.

* * *

Author's Note:

To be entirely honest, I did not enjoy writing this chapter whatsoever. I thought it was going to be more of a filler chapter between last chapter and next chapter, and it turned into one very large dialogue fest ;p.

I am very sorry if you find this story 'slow'. Next chapter should be more interesting and fighting will start in chapter 5 or 6 I believe ;p. So hang in there with me please!

Though as a little piece of incentive, I'm aiming to get the next chapter up in 3 days or so again. Although if you review enough, I might be able to get one up a bit sooner. Blackmail ftw ;p.

I hope you enjoyed it; if not, well, I understand. I didn't enjoy it either. But review anyways please! ;p.


	4. Fit for a King

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

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Chapter 4: Fit for a King

_I can't eat this. _Eragon said, setting his food down on the table.

_You should try to eat something little one, having something in your stomach would quell some of the butterflies of the upcoming ceremony. _Saphira advised, disapproving of Eragon's lack of an appetite.

_I want to eat this food, _Eragon said, motioning towards the complementary breakfast the elves had given him; a salad made up of various vegetables and a few pieces of bread, _but I don't think I can stomach it._

_At least eat a little bit of your food; it wouldn't do to have you collapse from a lack of energy whilst you are performing the funeral. _

_I will try, but nothing will taste good until all this is over._ Picking at his vegetables again, Eragon ate them gingerly, eating them for the sake of putting food into his stomach.

_All right, I'm done eating; we should head to the burial site now, we have some preparations to do before everybody arrives. _Pushing away from the table where he ate, Eragon jumped on Saphira's back, which was saddle-less because they were only flying a short distance.

Without waiting to see if Eragon was ready, Saphira leaped into the air, wings flapping effortlessly and carrying them towards an area devoid of trees. They saw several elves running around below them, preparing frantically for the ceremony. At the forefront of all the preparations; lay the bodies of Oromis and Glaedr.

The bodies were in a completely different state than they had been when they were killed by Murtagh and Thorn. The wound that sliced from Oromis's shoulder to his hip was not visible, hidden beneath the multitude of clothes that he adorned. Glaedr's body showed no indications that he had fallen from high in the sky after being slain by Thorn.

_The elves must have healed Glaedr's body, even though he is dead. _Eragon noted, commenting on the disappearance of the many wounds inflicted by Thorn during the duel.

_It must be a custom for elves burying their dead; they are magical creatures after all._ Saphira said, offering a plausible theory.

Landing in the clearing near the other elves, Eragon dismounted Saphira and waited for the elves to finish paying their respects to her. When they finished their compliments Eragon asked, "Where is the ritual going to take place? I should start our preparations right now."

"The ceremony will take place where Oromis and Glaedr are laying; it is quite difficult to move them. The fire will be built around them and the audience will be on the southern side of the fire," An elf answered, pointing towards the two bodies."

"Thank you, we will head over there now and make sure all of the preparations are perfect."

Walking over to the area pointed out by the elf, Eragon and Saphira measured out the area around the two bodies they would need for the funeral. Eragon removed the various herbs he had collected near Feinster from his pouch and began placing them in the fire pit.

Walking around the bodies of Oromis and Glaedr, Eragon placed the herbs around their bodies, spreading them out evenly. _All right, I am done placing the herbs around the bodies. What else do I have to do?_

_Well, do you have your eulogy prepared yet? You are required to give one along with the other important nobles._

_Yes, I have a speech ready. But I am nervous about giving it. I still do not like public speaking. _Eragon admitted, hating being the center of attention even though he was the most famous man in all of Alagaësia.

_Do not worry, I have faith in you. You will do fine when the time comes. All we have left to do is to wait for everybody to arrive and the ceremony to commence._

Eragon sat on the ground under a nearby tree with Saphira laying down near him, each keeping to their own thoughts. Eragon passed the time by observing incoming elves and their reactions. Some elves were devastated on accounts of having known the late Rider and dragon personally. Other elves mourned their passing, but only on the level of a hope being extinguished from Alagaësia.

Once all of the elves were seated in the chairs that were set in rows facing the bodies of Oromis and Glaedr; Eragon and Saphira rose from their isolated positions and stood by Queen Islanzadí, Princess Arya and other Elven Lords and Ladies.

A quick glance of acknowledgement was passed between everyone before Islanzadí led the group in an orderly line to the front of the elves gathered. A podium was set up in front of the entire assembly, awaiting the various speeches to be given by multiple important elves.

"My dear Elven nation," Queen Islanzadí began, "We are gathered here today to mourn the passing of a beloved member of our race and one who has brought great pride to our ranks. This current war for peace and prosperity, shared between all of the nations and races of Alagaësia has taken many casualties, none of which are any lesser of a loss to this nation than any other.

This nation has suffered as much as any other nation in Alagaësia. During the fall, we lost our benevolent King Evandar. Princess Arya was presumed dead after the Shade Durza captured and tortured her for information. Our nation has suffered; but through our losses, has come wondrous tidings.

If our sacrifices were not made, Alagaësia would not have the only free Rider roaming its land, a beacon of hope against the dark agents of Galbatorix. And said Rider has helped our side win many fights. But he had acquired his power from our latest loss; Oromis and Glaedr, the last Dragon and Rider surviving from before the Fall.

They taught the last free Rider and dragon, imparting their vast array of knowledge to the next generation and they entered the battle fray when their duty was done. But in their service to this nation and to the forces mustered against Galbatorix, they were defeated by the black king's use of underhanded fighting. Do not let their deaths be in vain, mourn them as is customary and pay them the respect they rightly deserve. But we are in a time of war, and prolonged mourning can and will negatively impact this war, something the last dragon and Rider from the Fall would not have wanted."

Eragon listened to the speech given by Islanzadí, impressed that she managed to properly respect Oromis and Glaedr from this world while maintaining the dignity of the war.

Arya was the next to give a speech; hers shorter than her mother's. Other Lords and Ladies followed suite, giving short speeches commending the achievements of Oromis and Glaedr's lives.

Eragon stepped up to the podium, butterflies in his stomach. He stared out at the elves gathered, his nervousness growing by the second. _Go little one, they are waiting._ Saphira said, her warm voice giving him the courage to do what he had to do.

"Fellow warriors, I stand before you today as the last free Rider of Alagaësia," Eragon's voice cracked slightly. Swallowing, he took a deep breath and continued, "It is with a heavy heart that I bear the title 'Master Rider'. It is no joy of mine that I stand before you here today, participating in the funeral of Oromis and Glaedr.

Oromis and Glaedr were remnants of an age long passed, a symbol of the peace and prosperity that was enjoyed throughout the land before the Fall, before Galbatorix. They carried with them, a knowledge far surpassing ours, thoughts ancient and each of their words carried a sense of wisdom.

With their deaths, Alagaësia is left without a guiding light, a reminder of what it of what it used to be during the age of the Riders. Many of you I am sure were alive well before the Fall, but the last protector of the Golden Age has since passed. His death will be the cause of much mourning, hopelessness and anger.

Oromis and Glaedr stood for resiliency, by surviving throughout the ages; intelligence, by finding ways to fight despite debilitating injuries; and strength, by overpowering Murtagh and Thorn. They would not want you to linger on their deaths, but to fight in their name. Fight for the peace they strove for, fight for the return of the Golden Ages they protect, and fight for the future as they did by passing their knowledge unto us.

Today will be a sad day, the histories of Alagaësia will remember today as the loss of a shining beacon of hope. But tomorrow and every day after will be different. Tomorrow, we fight for Alagaësia, the people of Alagaësia, and for Oromis and Glaedr who died fighting for Oromis and Glaedr."

Feeling self-conscious after giving his eulogy, Eragon quickly stepped down from the podium, joining the other members of the group. He was the last one to give a speech, closing words ending with the Master Rider, last of the order of Riders.

Stepping towards the limp bodies of Oromis and Glaedr, Eragon mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do. _Are you ready?_ Eragon asked Saphira.

_Of course, they will have the finest funeral known to Alagaësia._ Walking up to the ring drawn around the bodies, Saphira exhaled a blue jet of fire, scorching the entire ring and the contents inside of it.

The elves gasped as the area inside of the ring erupted into fire. It was no ordinary fire however, thanks to the herbs placed inside before the ceremony, the fire was a deep green hue, temperatures elevated well beyond that of a normal fire and it shined brightly, too bright for anybody to stare at it for too long.

Muttering a long string of indecipherable words in the Ancient Language, Eragon cast a spell of transformation upon the ring of fire. The ring of fire suddenly shot high into the air, twisting in thin spirals in the air. The green spiral of fire spun in the air, tendrils of green flame weaving many loops over other branches of fire protruding from the spiral. The branches of fire intertwining with one another, the fire became compressed and compact. A blinding flash of light stunned everybody watching the magical fire, momentarily disorienting them.

Whispers could be heard coming from the elven crowd as they saw what had appeared after the flash. A giant, magical reconstruction of Oromis and Glaedr were created from the green fire, hovering over the ring from where it came from. The fire-like images of Glaedr and Oromis whirled around each other, capturing everybody's attention which their spirit-like movement.

The giant apparition that resembled Glaedr seemed to inhale; and then released an ear-splitting roar. All of the elves winced at the sound, but continued to watch the fire mesmerized nonetheless.

The apparition of Oromis jumped onto the back of his counterpart and united like a life-like Rider with his or her dragon. Flying upwards, Glaedr flew so high that he was no more than a fire-fly in the sky. In a rush, the Oromis and Glaedr fire spirits flew downwards, spiraling towards the ground in a reckless dive. Plummeting towards the ground, Glaedr crashed headfirst into the funeral pyre; a column of fire shot up from the ring, up into the sky as far as the eye could see.

The burning inferno then condensed into a green ball of fire, hovering half a mile above the ground. The orb of fire contracted, shrinking in size and then exploded outwards, as if a giant breath of air had been exhaled. Rings of fire from the explosion flew outwards from the core of the orb, violently erupting from a focal point deep inside of the blaze. The fire did not escape the circle in which the magical phenomenon had begun though, kept in place by the many safety wards placed on the ring to contain the fire.

Everybody was buffeted by intense waves of heat, after-effects of the mass amounts of energy rolling off of each wave of fire. Eragon felt his hair become unkempt due to the excessive heat. He waited for the fire to exhaust itself and for the ritual to end.

The blinding light that was emitted from the fire made it impossible for anybody to see exactly what had transpired inside of it. One might hurt their eyes if they tried to discern the vague, unearthly reactions occurring inside.

After what seemed like hours, the sphere of fire dissipated into the air, the only reminder of its presence was the residual heat. Everybody craned their head to look at the contents of the funeral pyre which had just been the source of a magically enhanced fire. Inside of the ring were not the deathly bodies of Oromis and Glaedr, but statues created out of pure diamond which very much resembled the recipients of such a grand farewell.

The elves were silent, amazed by the events which they just witnessed. They stared at the life-like diamond statues in awe, eyes lighting up with possibly the first happiness that had shined from their eyes since the tragic deaths.

Eragon wearily watched the various expressions of the elves, his head drooping slightly from the fatigue of the spell. He leaned on Saphira who was standing next to him for support. _We gave Oromis and Glaedr the best funeral we could. _

_Yes, the funeral capped off their hard lives with a burial fit for kings. _Saphira said, eyes gleaming with confidence and happiness; happiness that they repaid their masters for all they had done.

_Now they will never be forgotten, their deaths will be remembered by all who pass by Gil'ead. _

_I am proud of you little one, your magic passed Oromis and Glaedr into Death's embrace with honor and dignity. Nobody can say that you did not perform your duties honorably now._

_Thank you Saphira, but I need to eat now, I am going to faint if I don't eat soon. That incantation took all of my energy._ Eragon said, allowing his body to slump over Saphira's foreleg.

As if on cue; Queen Islanzadí announced, "I am sure all of you are hungry from today's events. So now we eat, we eat to honor the memories we cherish of Oromis and Glaedr."

All of the elves followed Queen Islanzadí's path through the pine trees. Soon, they found themselves in another large clearing, trees surrounding the site. There were several long wooden tables set up, platters of assortments of the finest vegetables and Faelnirv on them. Everybody sat down at the tables with Queen Islanzadí at the forefront of one. She had Eragon and Arya sit at the front of the table with her, forcing the nobles to sit farther away.

"Tonight is not to be a mournful time, but a happy dinner to commemorate our memories, _Serenia!" _

Eragon dug into his food at these words, needing the energy boost from the food quite badly. The vegetables a much welcome change to the bread he and Arya had been eating the last few days. Eragon picked up his cup of Faelnirv, gulping half of its contents quickly. He gasped as the liquid rushed down his throat, eyes stinging.

Saphira was nearby, sitting at a large platter laid on the ground specifically for her; full of rice cakes and caskets of Faelnirv. She poked a hole in one of the caskets with her long teeth and then lifted it up in her mouth and drank the entire casket in a single gulp. She let the container fall, watching it shatter on the ground, splinters flying everywhere.

"Your ceremony today was quite…impressive to say the least," Islanzadí remarked after having eaten for several minutes.

"Thank you, we tried to give them the best funeral we could possibly give. We owe them so much," Eragon said, touched by the sentiment.

"I especially enjoyed the various alterations to the attributes of the fire. They greatly enhanced the fire and were quite interesting. Though I am curious as to how you managed to alter the properties of the fire." She asked, seeming genuinely impressed.

"Thank you, I used herbs containing hints of Copper to cause the fire to turn into a green color when the herbs were burned. Also, herbs that had some Magnesium in them were also used because Magnesium when burned; shines extremely brightly." Eragon explained.

"I see; that was very innovative," Islanzadí complimented, "Not many people would have even thought of using natural resources to alter the properties of the fire to their liking."

"Thank you your majesty, I am glad you enjoyed the burial."

"Your speech was also quite good. Especially since you do not particularly enjoy speaking publicly," Arya remarked, entering the conversation.

"I am surprised it came out as well as it did, I was as nervous as I was when I hunted my first deer." Eragon said, surprised that Arya had noticed his dislike of public speaking.

"When will you depart for the Varden?" Islanzadí asked, looking slightly miffed at his deer analogy.

"We will be leaving tomorrow or the day after. We will be sorely needed soon by Nasuada and the Varden."

"I see, the elves will endure the winter in Gil'ead and then wait for the Varden to start advancing on the capital. We will march towards Ilirea at the same time," the queen said, using the elven name of the capital.

"I am sure Nasuada will appreciate the joint assault when the Varden march on Urû'baen." Eragon said, starting to get nervous with the lack of communication between Arya and her mother.

Ignoring her mother's line of questioning, Arya asked "Will you allow me to accompany you and Saphira back to the Varden? I do not mean to impede on your privacy, but Nasuada will need me as well in the upcoming battles."

"Of course Arya, we intended to bring you back unless you had other plans. We did not bring you to Gil'ead just to abandon you afterwards." Eragon said, chuckling at Arya's worry.

Arya ignored the cold stares sent her way from her mother, most likely due to her apparent lack of respect. "Thank you, I did not wish to be presumptuous of your plans."

"Will you be ready to leave tomorrow? The sooner we leave; the better," Eragon sighed; loathe to return to traveling so soon again.

"Yes, I will pack tonight, I am eager to leave this place. I do not enjoy being here." Arya said; something akin to pain present in her voice.

"I'm sorry, I forgot," Eragon half-whispered, not wanting to announce her fears to everybody at the table; remembering the torture she endured in Gil'ead.

"Don't worry about me, I will be fine when I leave this place," Arya said, seeming withdrawn from the conversation.

Turning to Islanzadí, Eragon felt like he was holding two separate conversations at once with the mother and daughter pair. "Did you ever find Naegling when Oromis dropped it at the battle?"

"In fact we did, it was stuck in the ground near the place where his body ended up. We recovered it and were deciding what to do with it," Islanzadí replied.

"So what _are_ you planning to do with the sword?"

Reaching in the depths of her cloak, Queen Islanzadí withdrew Naegling and presented it to Eragon. "Well, we decided to give it to you. It is what Oromis would have wanted. Perhaps you can find some use for the sword."

Surprised, Eragon was left speechless. Regaining his composure, he managed to say "Thank you your majesty, you honor me with this sword. I will keep it safe from harm."

"Think nothing of it Eragon; you are the only suitable person to care for it, as you are the last pupil of the Mourning Sage."

Tired from the exhausting day, both mentally and physically, Eragon touched his sternum with his hand. "I think I will take my leave now. I am tired and there is much to be done," He said bowing in turn to Queen Islanzadí and Princess Arya.

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Author's Notes:

_Serenia – _Eat, cheers, etc…

Well I got this chapter up a day early. You guys came close enough to the amount of reviews I wanted anyways ;p, so thank you all very much for the reviews, I really do appreciate them.

Lots of thanks for the loyal reviewers who review every chapter and also thanks to all who have just started reviewing.

This chapter was much more interesting to write than the last chapter, so it was much quicker ;p. It's the last chapter before the story starts to pick up pace, I promise. Next chapter is being worked on and will have fighting in it. Expect it to be up in 3 days or so again, maybe 2 if you review enough. Motivation goes a long way ;p.

Thanks for reading everything so far and I hope you like the story. Reviews please!


	5. Catching Up

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

I changed like three words in Chapter 2 and made the Varden stop by Belatona before Dras-Leona. Nothing big.

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Chapter 5: Catching Up

A group of seagulls flew overhead, cawing loudly as they passed by unusual visitors in an unusual place. The usually quiet, lonely mountains, devoid of human life were now full of heavy boots and weapons clanging on the sides of their bearers. The seagulls were traveling on their instinctual flight, the migration towards the warmer climates. Winter was quickly approaching and the north was not suitable for an avian lifestyle.

One of the noisy, smelly men called his men to his halt, commanding a great deal of respect from those he leads. The entire troop of men, a quite impressive troop at that, stopped at the ridge of the mountain, a beautiful vista of scenery on all sides.

If one looked to the north, he might see the city in the distance, a center of activity and life. Isolated from the rest of Alagaësia, it did not have caravans of traders coming and going. It was a habitual city, the everyday routines of the denizens never changing. Without much outside influences on the city, men and women stuck to their ingrained routine, never deviating from their comfort zone.

Looking to the west of the mountains, a man would see the ocean stretching for as far the eye could see in any direction, a natural phenomenon that men rarely see, waxing and waning seemingly on its own accord. If sharp eyes scanned the endless field of water, they might rest upon a ship sporadically, bobbing up and down on the crests of waves.

If the said person looked east, they might find themselves looking at an endless expanse of green, fertile land. Several small towns were visible as small dots on a green quilt; connected by brown, worn down paths that travelers often used. The great expanse of land stretched endlessly, a connected web of life.

Looking north, the dangerous, legendary mountains were visible. Hunters were wary of entering the dark mountains, for few have ever survived the perilous adventure inside of its depths. The mountains were a green sheet of trees, preventing any modicum of light from entering its dark depths, hiding the secrets that lay within.

But the said man with such a spectacular view was not an artist who could truly appreciate such beautiful views and share them with the rest of the world. This man was a fierce warrior, perhaps even legendary. His gaze was not resting upon the deep blue ocean, or the endless plains, or the dark depths of the mountains. His gaze rested upon the city, the life that bustled inside of its walls, well protected walls at that.

"Stronghammer! A battalion of soldiers is headed up the mountain towards us!" A scout reported, running up the line of the assembled troops.

"Thank you, head back to your post and continue your vigilant watch," Roran said, hand moving to his belt where his hammer was, in anticipation of a skirmish.

Turning to the man next to him, Roran said, "Carn, get the men ready for battle. I want a regiment of humans, a regiment of dwarves and a regiment of Urgals. We will ambush the approaching soldiers with as few men as possible so we don't receive more attention than is necessary."

"Right away, the men will be assembled quickly." Carn assured him.

Roran felt a slight tug on his arm, turning around, he found Katrina looking at him with worry in the depths of her eyes. "Shouldn't you take more men with you just in case?" She asked, concerned with his safety.

Roran met her eyes, hoping to transfer a sense of confidence through eye contact. "I won't die, the fewer men I take, the smaller the chance that the enemy would determine the true numbers of the army," He said in a low voice.

"Still I worry for your safety; I wish I could come with you. It would make me feel better knowing that you are safe with my own eyes." Katrina said, holding Roran's hand.

"I wouldn't allow you into battle, it is far too dangerous," Roran said firmly, allowing no complaints on this rule.

"Oh I know you wouldn't let me," Katrina said, "Just promise me you will come back alive and unhurt."

"I promise I will return to you alive and in one piece; we have endured too much to be separated again," Roran said in a voice that erased any doubts of him returning to her, love permeating every word.

"I know you will, now go, your men are waiting on you," Katrina said in a low whisper, voice slightly hoarse.

Roran dismounted his horse, Snowfire, and walked over to the men, dwarves and Urgals who had assembled under Carn's directions to fight alongside Roran. "The enemy has severely underestimated our fighting prowess by only sending one battalion of soldiers. Prove to the Empire that we are not to be trifled with. With me men!" Roran stated to the assembled soldiers, hearing clangs of approval emanating from the weapons of those who marched behind him.

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Waiting behind a large tree, Roran was on the lookout for any sign of the runners who would lure the troops sent to kill them. Roran tightened his grip on his hammer, feeling his bloodlust overwhelming all his other senses, waiting for his hammer to connect with heads.

"Roran, will we be able to outrun the enemy?" Carn whispered, airing his fears and concerns about this plan.

"Don't worry about it, it is not a long run to the ambush site, we will have support as soon as we make it to the next area." Roran said, reassuring Carn with a quick smile.

"Let's hope—." Carn was interrupted as he spoke by a few people sprinting through the woods.

"It has begun, wait for my signal." Roran said, eyes focused on the darkness ahead.

Groups of enemy soldiers began to enter his line of sight, though he doubted they could see him, for he was hidden deep in the undergrowth and trees for optimal camouflage. He saw that some of the runners were ahead of the others, the faster sprinters leading the pack. Roran smiled grimly, _exactly according to plan so far, _he thought to himself.

He waited for the faster runners to come closer before he sprung out of depths of the overgrowth. "Fire!" He roared, swinging his hammer above his head at the nearest soldier.

From all around the forest, the sound of bows could be heard, arrows flying in from all directions at the incoming troops. The arrows started the bloodbath, impaling many soldiers through the heart or head as they fell to the ground, lifeless, their blood seeping out of the wounds into the cold dirt.

The slower soldiers had reached the ambush area by the time the faster soldiers had been shot. Roran and the human regiment of soldiers met them with a clash of steel as the two opposing armies met.

Swinging his hammer in a wide arc, Roran felt something connect and then crumple under his strength. A soldier had been hit on the head, the hammer crushing his skill, dropping the soldier like a fly.

Blocking a sword swipe with one of his hammers, he swept his other hammer around breaking several ribs of the next opposing soldier. With a sickening crunch, the soldier fell to the ground clutching his side. Letting out a victory cry, Roran stepped on the fallen soldier with one foot as he quickly ended his pain with a blow to the head.

He looked around and saw the enemy soldiers breaking on their defensive line like water on rock. They enemy soldiers were being felled one by one and they crashed against his regiment of soldiers.

Noticing movement from his side, Roran whirled around with his hammer in front of him. A clang of metal echoed in the forest as a sword made contact with his hammer. Thankful that the sword had met his hammer and not his flesh, Roran swung his hammer in his other hand onto the soldier hand, breaking the bone in several places. Dropping the sword, the soldier fell to his knees clutching his hand. Bringing his hammer down on the soldier, Roran broke his neck, instantly killing the man.

The bulk of the opposing army came into view on the edge of the battlefield. Sensing that it was time for the second phase of his plan, Roran yelled "Retreat!" to his regiment, urging them to fall back.

He started running east, up a gentle slope through the forest with his men. All of the men he had picked to be in the first part of the ambush were the fastest runners, all of whom could outrun the enemy. They escaped the oncoming onslaught of soldiers and regrouped behind a particularly large rock that obscured any sight of them from the enemy.

They quickly recuperated some of their lost energy in the few spare seconds they had before the enemy caught up again. Peeking around the edge of the rock, Roran saw that the enemy had reached the clearing and were advancing on their position, still unaware of their exact location.

Right as the soldiers neared the large rock; Roran's men leapt out from behind the boulder and engaged the enemy again in a flurry of swords, spears and hammers. The sound of bows was heard again as arrows honed in on the area, felling many oncoming soldiers.

Urgals appeared on the edge of the battlefield, drawing their weapons to support Roran's regiment and quickly closed in on the enemy with savage war cries.

Bellowing, Roran raised the spirits of his men as he threw himself at the enemy, crushing soldier after soldier under the might of his hammer. Following his example, Roran's forces pushed back the opposing army with their vigor.

Swinging his hammer in an upward motion, Roran deflected an incoming sword. Spinning around, he caved in the man's chest with his hammer, crushing the man's heart. A flash of steel appeared out of the corner of his eye. Trying to block the stab with his hammer, he turned around swinging his hammer in a downward motion this time. His hammer too slow to intercept the oncoming attack, Roran felt a flash of pain as a spear impaled him on the upper thigh.

Reacting quickly, Roran broke the man's elbow by smashing it with his hammer and then swiftly connected his hammer with the man's chin, instantly killing him. Grunting in pain, Roran broke the shaft of the spear, leaving the steel tip embedded in his thigh. Pain was quickly forgotten as Roran's bloodlust took over. Rejoining the fight, Roran cut through the enemy ranks despite his injury.

The entirety of the enemy army had reached the battlefield by this time and started swarming towards the human and Urgal alliance of men. This time instead of running, Roran and his men held their ground, letting steel meet steel.

Suddenly, the short dwarves appeared on both sides of the opposing soldiers, flanking them from both sides. Overwhelmed, the opposing army fell into a state of panic, the soldiers trying to run, but getting slaughtered before they were able to escape. Other soldiers stayed and fought, but to little avail. Without the large amount of soldiers to support them, they were quickly felled by hammer and sword.

Roran saw Carn getting overpowered by a soldier on the other side of the battlefield. Rushing over to aid his friend, Roran felt the wind whistle past his face as he sidestepped a few swipes aimed at him while he ran to Carn.

The soldier attacking Carn disarmed him and kicked him in the stomach. As Carn landed on the ground with a thud from the kick, the soldier lifted his sword to separate Carn's head from his body. Before the sword descended on Carn's unprotected neck, Roran swung both of his hammers at the same time, connecting them with the soldier's armored stomach. The force of the blow sent the man flying several feet and he landed in a crumpled heap on the ground, his armor embedded in his stomach.

"Thanks Roran, he would have gotten me if you hadn't killed him first," Carn said as he grabbed Roran's outstretched arm and pulled himself to his feet.

A small smile touched the corners of Roran's lips as he said "Don't worry about it, what are friends for?"

Turning around, Roran ran back into the fray of the battle, a battle that was quickly becoming one-sided. The troops remaining from the battalion sent out to attack the Varden were completely disorganized; their men fighting in small groups, a series of separate battles ongoing at the same time.

Flitting from skirmish to skirmish, Roran aided his soldiers that were on the losing end of a fight. He jumped from battle to battle; wherever he swung his hammer, another body was added to the casualty list. Roran soon lost count of the time that passed, the only measurement of the time he had was the amount of people he killed.

After mauling one particular soldier who had sliced him on his forearm, Roran looked up and saw that the battle was essentially over. The remaining soldiers on the opposing side were escaping, running from their inevitable deaths.

Some of the Varden's soldiers gave chase, their thirst for blood unsatisfied. "Let them run, the battle is over and we have won." Roran said, his voice carrying throughout the battlefield.

"Pick up the dead and help the wounded. Let us return to the camp." Roran announced, adrenaline gone from his body and he sagged slightly from the loss of energy.

Warm arms embraced him as the soldiers reentered their camp on top of the mountains. Without looking down, Roran wrapped his arms around the body, knowing that it was Katrina from the smooth arms and the loving embrace. "You did not come back unscathed." Katrina said, voice half serious, half not.

A weary smile took over Roran's face as he said, "Rare is the soldier who comes out of a battle unharmed. Unfortunately, I am not one of those who can."

"I wish you were though, I get worried when you head to battle; thoughts of you dying always enter my mind when you head off for battle."

"I wish you wouldn't have those thoughts, I won't die as long as you are by my side. I have too much to live for," Roran said, trying to express his love for her in each word that left his mouth.

The tranquil setting of the surrounding forest was broken as a sharp roar cut through the air. Every soldier looked up, scanning their surroundings and the sky for the source of the sound. A large blue body came into view at the edge of the horizon, flying towards them swiftly. Cheers erupted in the camp as they saw the Varden's Rider headed towards them.

Ordering his men to clear the area, Roran and Katrina were the only ones who remained in the vicinity, all the soldiers having backed up a good distance away, waiting for Eragon to land.

Large gusts of wind rained down upon Roran and Katrina as Saphira hovered above them, slowly descending. Katrina's hair whipped Roran's face, wind blowing her hair every which way. Saphira landed with a thud, causing a ripple to reverberate in the ground as she dropped the remaining height separating her legs from the earth.

"Eragon! Where have you been?" Roran demanded as he drew him into a tight bear hug when Eragon leapt off Saphira's back.

"I am sorry; I forgot to tell you that I had a funeral with the elves to attend to. The days leading up to my departure were very hectic," Eragon explained, returning Roran's embrace.

"I see," Roran said, a slight sense of betrayal entered Roran's mind before he pushed the thought out. "Come, let us head to my tent, we have much to talk about."

Roran began walking to his tent in the center of the camp they had set up, Katrina walking alongside Roran while Eragon trailed behind. Entering an ordinary tent, Roran heard Eragon mutter some words in a different language which he assumed was to insure their privacy.

"So what have you been up to since I left?" Eragon asked.

Roran took a breath before plunging into his story, "Right at the same time you left Varden, most likely over a week ago, Nasuada began her plan to attack the Empire. She told me to lead a large portion of the Varden to attack Kuasta which would open up the opportunity to conquer Teirm immediately after the winter concludes."

"Do you have enough men to take over Kuasta? It is a major city in the Empire and dividing the Varden would weaken the attack force considerably," Eragon asked, his probing questions reflecting the changes that had occurred due to his travels after leaving Carvahall.

Roran had a confidant look in his eyes, perhaps due to the fact that they had Eragon now who would assist them in taking Kuasta or just confidence in his men to perform admirably. "Yes we should take Kuasta with little difficulties. Even though Kuasta is a major city, it is relatively isolated from the rest of the Empire. Its defenses are taken for granted because it is surrounded by mountains and it is difficult to send reinforcements to Kuasta when they are needed elsewhere."

"What do you want me to do in the siege of Kuasta? I am not going to be leading this attack," Eragon said, allowing Roran to keep command of his men for the upcoming battle.

"Well, it would be very helpful if you could infiltrate the city and then open the gates for our troops to raid the city," Roran suggested, unable to give orders to Eragon due to their family ties and his elevated position.

"It will be done, just inform me of the time you want the gates to open. After I open the gates, Saphira and I will attack the soldiers from the air," Eragon said, drawing up the other part of his battle plan on his own.

"That will be fine," Roran said, agreeing with Eragon's proposal. "Putting this upcoming battle aside; how did you come to find us in the mountains of Kuasta?"

Eragon shifted his body to assume a more comfortable position before he spoke. "When Saphira and I departed Gil'ead, we were told by Nasuada to search for the Varden in Belatona which they had attacked while you trekked towards Kuasta. They had successfully conquered Belatona, quite easily in fact because everybody had fled to more northern cities after Feinster was captured."

"No wonder we didn't get attacked as we passed by Belatona during our journey to Kuasta." Roran said, the new information shedding new light on the mysteries surrounding the recent events.

"It is likely Belatona was under siege when you passed it, allowing you to slip by unnoticed. But anyways, after we visited Belatona, we talked to Nasuada who told us that you would need our help to capture Kuasta since your force is smaller. She informed us you would be somewhere in the mountains south of Kuasta and it was quite easy to spot an army marching through the mountains," Eragon explained, finishing his story.

"Well your help will be greatly appreciated. The casualty rate will be much lower with your help on our side," Roran said, grateful that Nasuada had sent Eragon to aid him. "But where is your elf friend, Arya? I thought she was traveling with you."

Eragon froze for a second, expressing signs of discomfort when asked to talk about the elf. "Arya is assisting Nasuada in capturing Dras-Leona. They were about to depart from Belatona when we arrived, they are headed towards Dras-Leona before the winter hits."

"Do you wish she was fighting with you? Watching your back?" Roran asked, examining Eragon's face carefully, waiting for any sign of emotion.

"She is an amazing fighter and an invaluable comrade. But she is needed more in Dras-Leona and we are both skilled enough fighters to protect our own backs," Eragon said, voice carefully kept devoid of any emotions.

Disappointed by his impassiveness, Roran steered the conversation in a different direction. "Whose funeral did you have to attend in Gil'ead?" He asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"My teachers died in Gil'ead fighting Murtagh and I traveled to Gil'ead to give them a proper burial." Eragon said dispassionately, hiding any emotions he might have had behind a blank mask.

Roran frowned at his cousin's newfound proficiency at hiding his emotions; how different it was in Carvahall. "It seems like you have yet another reason to kill Murtagh given the chance."

"Aye, with any luck, our next encounter will be our last, with one of us expelled from this life," Eragon said bitterly, as if he could not wait for that day to come.

Katrina spoke for the first time, having let the two men talk uninterrupted, "Don't worry about your half-brother Eragon, he will get what he is due in time, don't let it unduly worry you."

Eragon's mouth seemed to lighten slightly, nearly unnoticeable. "Yes, I suppose he will; I just want all of the family issues to come to an end."

"You are still our family; you are no more Murtagh's family than you are your teacher's son. But it is getting late and we must be rested for the attack on Kuasta, get some rest cousin, it is good to have you back," Roran said, grabbing Eragon's forearm before watching him exit the tent, leaving him and Katrina alone.

"You should get some rest too; you are still tired from the battle today. The men can't have a leader who will collapse because he neglected his body and spirit," Katrina told Roran sternly, concerned for his well-being.

"Yes, I think I will rest, today has been a long day in more ways than one."

* * *

Author's Note:

This was my first battle scene, I hope it was up to your standards ;p.

I didn't notice that Belatona was in between Dras-Leona and Feinster .. So I had to say that the Varden was headed towards Belatona before Dras-Leona in Chapter 2. Annoying obscure towns and cities.

I'm not sure how long it'll take me to get the next chapter up, I'm still debating whether I should combine the next two chapters or separate them. So no promises on when i'll get it out.

Please read and review, I really do appreciate it!


	6. Difference of Opinions

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

Sorry for the very long wait, here it is ;p.

* * *

Chapter 6: Difference of Opinions

If one had not known better, they might have thought that there was a flying hulk of metal in the sky, metal reflecting the sunlight in multiple directions. The gleaming metal in the air was a stark difference to the normal attire of Saphira, for she blended in with the sky naturally as her deep blue scales melded into the blue background of the sky.

But today was not a normal day; today was the beginning of another battle, the last battle for several months. Dressed in wartime armor, Saphira flaunted the armor given to her by the dwarves which carried a regal air with it.

The armor fit Saphira quite well in several ways; she and Eragon were the symbol of unity between every race throughout the land. What better example was there besides the long standing animosity between the dwarves and the dragons eased through gifts?

Saphira assumed the role of the 'queen of the skies' on account of her natural abilities in the air and her well suited scales that reflected her love of flying. Like the armor, Saphira gave off the feeling of confidence in the air; possessing a regal aura around her while she flew.

But unlike Saphira, today Eragon was not comfortable in the air. _Flying with you is quite unsettling without a saddle. I feel like I could fall off at any minute, _Eragon grumbled, sitting on Saphira's bare back because his infiltration plan depended on swiftness.

Saphira responded to his complaints by lightly swerving from side to side in the air. _The flight won't be much longer little one, we are almost over the fortress,_ Saphira assured him, doing a few more easy maneuvers in the air for good measure.

To distract himself from Saphira's fright-inducing stunts, Eragon thought back to Roran's battle plan. Roran had informed Eragon that the army was going to invade Kuasta as early in the morning as possible. He needed Eragon to somehow sneak into Kuasta and open up the gates to allow the Varden to flood inside.

Roran had hidden the army in the thick forests surrounding Kuasta and had left some soldiers to protect the women and children back at the camp they had made on top of the mountain. When Eragon opened up the gates, the army would charge through the opening and gain control over the city. But Eragon had a small time frame to complete his task; if he wasn't successful in six hours, then Saphira would have to rescue him and then force their way into the city.

_I wish you were going to be fighting behind me, I feel exposed because you are not going to watching my back when I'm down there._ Eragon said.

_I will be helping you from afar even if I can't physically help you. We won't be far away from each other, so our mental connection will still be intact. I will be flying high above Kuasta and tell you if anything major is headed your way._

_Thank you Saphira, I couldn't ask for a better partner, _Eragon said, gratitude seeping through their link.

_We are here, _Saphira announced, _you'd better start making your preparations now._

Eragon looked below them and only spotted two guards on the roof of the fortress that stood in the center of Kuasta. _They must not be expecting an aerial attack; there are only two guards on the rooftops._

Uttering one of the twelve words of death, Eragon instantly killed the two guards keeping watch on the fortress, using no more energy than is required to sit on Saphira's back.

Swooping down over the fortress, Saphira quickly descended in altitude until they were a mere twenty feet above the fortress. Jumping the rest of the way, Eragon landed on the plateau that one of the guards patrolled. Looking up, he saw Saphira fly away, back into the clouds and unnoticeable once again.

Keeping a lookout for any guards that might spot him, Eragon quickly stripped the guard's armor and equipped himself with the steel plate with the Empire's insignia engraved on the breast. Donning the helmet, Eragon felt it move slightly on his head, for it was a tad too large for him. Throwing the bracers over his wrists and the greaves covering his feet, Eragon looked like a typical Empire soldier.

Scanning the plateau for an exit off of the roof, Eragon spotted a trapdoor in the middle of the floor, presumably leading into the interior of the fortress. Striding over to the trapdoor, he kneeled down on the floor next to it and carefully lifted the trapdoor slowly. He peeked under the slight opening to check for any guards in the room that it led to. Seeing none, Eragon swung the trapdoor open and climbed down the ladder that connected the rooftops to the lower levels.

Closing the trapdoor above him, Eragon dropped the rest of the way, landing in a small, dark room. With his enhanced elven senses, he was able to see everything in the room with perfect clarity despite the lack of light. He assumed that the room was an armory since it was full of weapons and armor for the soldiers.

Opening a door leading into adjacent rooms, Eragon straightened his back in hopes of tricking anybody who saw him to think that he was one of the soldiers. The door led to a split hallway; two different paths presenting themselves to Eragon.

Quickly deciding which path to take, Eragon turned to his right and then headed up the path into deeper parts of the fortress.

Peeking around a corner, Eragon saw nobody in his direct line of sight. Adopting a brisk walk, Eragon followed the hallway to a doorway at the end of a dead end. Opening the door, Eragon found himself in a stairway that was better furnished than the previous rooms.

The room had a pair of staircases, one leading to the upper reaches of the fortress and the other leading towards the foyer. Not eager to head back to the rooftops, Eragon headed towards the descending staircase and found himself in a well decorated part of the fortress. Whereas the upper parts of the fortress was meant to shelter the soldiers on rotation and was a maze of blank stone walls; this new area of the keep was for visitors and important guests and as a result, it was covered in lavish carpets, exquisite paintings, architectural pillars and glass chandeliers.

Before proceeding to the center of the room where dozens of people were scurrying every which way; Eragon pulled his helmet as low as possible over his face without impeding his vision to hide as much of his inhuman features as possible, shuffled his armor around to conceal his scabbard and sword, and stood up perfectly straight with his hands at his sides to play the part of a soldier convincingly.

Marching into the center of activity, Eragon headed straight through the middle of the crowd to avoid suspicion. Eragon was knocked around as he made his way through the bustling crowd; peasants scurrying every which way with weapons, armor or scrolls containing vital war information for their masters. Everybody was doing some sort of war preparations because the Varden was knocking at their doors.

As Eragon joined the flow of traffic leading out of the keep, a voice said, "You there soldier, where do you think you are going?"

Turning around, Eragon saw that a man he had accidently brushed by was in fact a noble, an irritated noble. "I a-am sorry sir, I was ordered to join the troops stationed on the walls in-incase the Varden attacks." Eragon stuttered, feigning fear of the noble.

The noble seemed satisfied with Eragon's answer as he responded to the fear that Eragon imitated. "Don't run into me again soldier, or you might die before the Varden get to you," he threatened, enjoying the thrill of instilling fear of those of a lower rank than he.

"I-It won't happen again s-sir." Eragon said, maintaining his charade.

"See to it that you don't soldier," the noble said as he started walking through the throngs of people again with a demeanor that exuded arrogance and haughtiness.

Passing the guards that monitored the traffic entering and exiting the keep, a guard that he passed by nodded towards him, a sign of comradeship. Slightly surprised, Eragon managed to nod to the guard as he passed him. _I've never had a soldier treat me as an equal before,_ Eragon mused, thinking to himself.

_Perhaps it is because nobody knows you here. You are held with a near god-like status by the Varden; the common foot soldiers don't approach you informally due to your exalted position among them. _Saphira remarked.

Eragon jumped a little at the mental intrusion. _I had forgotten you were still in range for our mental connection._

_I'm hovering over Kuasta right now, high enough in the sky that anybody who saw me would take me for a bird, so of course I can hear you, _Saphira snorted.

_Well, I was just caught off guard from being accepted as part of the commoners and not some exalted-higher-than-life fearless warrior, _Eragon replied, returning to the original point of discussion.

_Do you dislike being addressed so informally?_

_No, it's not that. It is a type of comradeship that I haven't had since Carvahall. The soldiers in the Varden treat me as if I am a noble, elves speak to us with the utmost respect, and even the villagers from Carvahall don't even look at me the same anymore, _Eragon admitted.

_You do have some connections little one; you have me, Arya, Roran, Nasuada and Orik. All of us treat you as an equal and friend; well maybe with Arya as an exception at times._

_I suppose, but sometimes it is not the same as the bonds forged by platoons of soldiers. _Eragon said, breaking off the conversation.

Looking up to see where he was, Eragon found himself in the housing district, far away from the more affluent neighborhood surrounding the keep. The slabs of wood hanging off of broken houses contrasted sharply to the extravagant decorations inside of the keep.

Checking the area around him for any witnesses, Eragon walked to a secluded area shrouded in the shadows. Removing the cumbersome armor that shielded him from scrutiny inside of the fortress, Eragon left it in a pile near a dirty and most likely contaminated well. Donning a dark cloak that shielded his body and face from distant onlookers and blended with the gray sky, he opted to travel in a less conspicuous manner. The soldier's armor attracted too much attention and limited his movement.

Satisfied that he was alone and nobody was watching him, Eragon quickly jumped onto the roof of a low shack, his elven abilities enabling him to easily swing himself onto the roof ten feet above the ground.

As light as a feather and nimble as a fox, Eragon took off in a full sprint, his cloak billowing wildly in the wind. His speed and grace coupled with his camouflage enabled him to run on rooftops and traverse the city by jumping from building to building. Any onlooker who might have glimpsed Eragon would have dismissed the event as a trick of the light.

Laying flat on top of one roof, Eragon found himself looking at his primary objective; the building connected to the outer walls protecting Kuasta from possible siege. Scouting the area, Eragon found that there area was deserted, deemed too dangerous due to the army encamped near the gates leading into the city.

Eragon landed on the ground lightly and ran quickly through the open street, his outline just a blur. Opening his mind to the area around him, Eragon sensed several minds inside of the building that controlled the gates. From what he could glean from his brief venture into their minds, he found that most of them were in a drowsy state; their jobs dull and monotonous. Taking a deep breath, Eragon quickly opened the door and quietly entered the building.

Inside the building, Eragon saw five soldiers turned away from him, unaware of his presence. Quietly making his way to the lever that could open the gates, Eragon met with the misfortune of a guard turning around a spotting him. "Halt, who goes there?" the soldier demanded, drawing his sword.

The other soldiers awoke from their mindless daydreaming and turned to face Eragon, their swords pointing at him. Wordlessly, Eragon ignored them and drew Brisingr from the depths of his cloak and lunged at the nearest soldier, impaling him through the chest.

As the soldier fell limp, the other four charged him to avenge their fallen comrade. Encircling him, they tried to eliminate the unknown threat by double teaming him. Two soldiers, each on a different side of Eragon, lunged with the swords, aiming for his heart. Ducking under their swords, Eragon spun his body in a circle and kicked the legs out from under one soldier. Still in motion from his sweep, Eragon swung his sword in an upward motion, Brisingr slicing effortlessly through the abdomen of the other soldier, cleaving his body in half. Not waiting for the body to fall to the ground, Eragon cleanly cut the other fallen soldier's head off.

The other soldiers, backed away in fear from Eragon after watching their mystery opponent kill two of their friends in a millisecond. Deciding that the battle was futile, the two remaining soldiers attempted an escape, both rushing to the nearby door. Eragon ran after them and decapitated both of them in one fluid motion, their heads falling to the ground with a thump and life blood spilling onto the ground. _Now that is three helpless people I've killed. _Eragon said disgustedly to himself, referring to the soldier pleading for his life near Eastcroft.

Expelling these thoughts from his mind, Eragon headed over to the lever and pulled it down. He could hear the mechanisms clicking as the gate slowly opened, creaking from age and rust. There was a loud noise that could be heard from outside the city. The next moment, there were war shouts and metal clanking on metal that drew nearer and nearer with each passing moment.

Stepping outside, Eragon watched as the men of the Varden flooded into the unprepared city, the mass of people headed by Roran. Watching the flurry of activity, Eragon watched Roran lift his hammer into the air and unleash a savage cry before plunging into the depths of Kuasta.

* * *

_This has to be one of the darkest fights I have ever been in, _Arya thought to herself during a lull in the fighting. It wasn't the death or the blood that covered her blade. It was the looming presence of Helgrind, a dark sanctuary that used to shelter the Ra'zac. Helgrind hovered over the entire city, bathing Dras-Leona in gloom. But Helgrind was not the only source of darkness and depression; there were also the innocent civilians who feared the Varden, feared for their lives. This was new to Arya, all of her previous fights barring The Battle of Feinster were not sieges of cities; they were armies pitted against armies in an open field. Those battles were different; there was a fear of dying in combat, but not a fear of being murdered.

She could hear the thoughts of every person around her, friend or foe; soldier or civilian. When she was confronted with defenseless women and children, she could see the thoughts running through their heads. She feel the hatred rolling off of them, the belief that they, the elves, would kill them, murder them or worse.

The combination of Helgrind, the abominable conditions, and the fear that blanketed the city was affecting Arya. It was wreaking havoc on her composure and she wasn't how long she could handle it.

Gritting her teeth, Arya pushed her contemplations out of her head, saving them for after the battle. Scanning the area around her, Arya saw regiments of Varden soldiers marching throughout the city, purging alleyways and streets of resistance.

The Varden had been able to enter the city by use of magic from Arya and the twelve elven guards sent to protect Eragon. They had enough power collectively to break the numerous wards protecting the gate and they had forced it open, allowing Nasuada and her troops to raid the city. The troops had entered through the southern gate and were working their way northward. The governor of Dras-Leona lived in a huge palace in the north of the city and forced the Varden to clear the whole city before they reached the castle.

Moving in unison, Arya, Blӧdhgarm and the other elves set off at a quick pace, too fast for any human to see them clearly. They raced through the deserted streets, easily cutting through any straggling soldiers or unfortunate clumps of opposition. As they progressed through the city, their pace barely slowed as they cut through their enemies in clean, single strokes, blood spraying in their wake.

Sensing a rather large group of soldiers ahead of them, considerably larger than the small groups that they had fought before, Arya motioned with her hand to the other elves and they stopped running. "Do you sense them?" Arya asked Blӧdhgarm. "How many do you think there are?"

"I would hazard an estimate of around thirty to forty men. At least double, if not triple our numbers."

"We will move cautiously, but we can't afford to let them hamper our progress." Arya said, unsheathing her gleaming sword, droplets of blood still hanging onto the sharp edges from previous encounters.

Advancing at a much slower rate than before, the elves cautiously approached the still distant regiment of troops. Their footsteps silent, they went unnoticed as they closed the gap between themselves and their targets. When they were a mere corner's turn away from the soldiers, Arya gestured for them to halt before they made their attack on the unsuspecting soldiers.

Checking behind her, Arya saw that each person was ready for battle. Arya leapt around the corner, using the preemptive strike to her advantage. The elves followed her lead, closing the distance to the soldiers in mere milliseconds.

Their minds weak and unprotected, Arya could see their panic and raw fear erupting from the soldiers as they were ambushed by the elves. But their minds regained their rationality quickly as they saw their companions cut down by these unknown assailants.

After half of the soldiers were felled by the preemptive attack before they knew what was happening. The soldiers finally reacted to the onslaught and drew their weapons, attempting to delay their inevitable deaths. "What's this, yer an _elf_?" One of the soldiers said, his malicious voice directed at Arya, the leader of the pack. "Guess that Galbatorix was right; said them ruddy _elves_ would come to pillage and murder us _humans. _No better than the rest o' yer race."

"Surrender now or suffer the consequences." Arya said coolly, maintaining an emotionless façade, not enabling this ignorant fool in front of her to affect her.

"Surrender to you brutes and be killed? I won't surrender, not to you ruddy elves!" The man declared, forfeiting his life with in a single sentence.

In one fluid motion, Arya stepped up to him and lopped off his head and then pushed his now motionless and decapitated body onto the ground. "You monster! Don't kill me too," another soldier wailed, dropping his sword to the ground and laying on the ground in a bowing position.

"We are not mindless brutes and savages, surrender and your lives will be spared. We will not kill innocents if it can be helped," Arya said clearly, projecting her statement to all who still lived.

There was a flurry of activity as every man left standing dropped their swords to the ground, and assumed a similar position on the ground, begging for their lives. Calling over a nearby group of soldiers, Arya said, "Tie these men up and bring them back to our camp. They are my prisoners and I said they will not be killed."

"Right away ma'am," A Varden soldier said as he began knotting ropes around the men's wrists to ensure that they would not revolt against him. His regiment quickly led the helpless men away, leaving the elves in the battlefield alone.

Blӧdhgarm broke the silence that had permeated the air after the battlefield was cleared of prisoners and Varden soldiers. "Why did you spare them? They insulted our race and posed a threat to us."

Arya stared at him incredulously; his disregard for human life seemed appalling. _But was it not just a few mere weeks or months ago that I too held human life with little regard? I had always acted pragmatically, taking the course which posed the least amount of threats. That is, until Eragon opened my eyes to the sanctity of life._ She mused to herself. "They were no more a threat to us than a child bearing a sword against an armed soldier," she responded, finally answering Blӧdhgarm's question.

"I do not mean to pry Arya Drӧttningu, but what has happened to your sense of practicality and efficiency? You used to act with indifference and chose the most logical path, regardless of the price of human life. This latest action seems…unnecessary."

"The act of mercy is much more rewarding than the simplest, easiest and cleanest path to your goal. A friend opened my eyes to this; despite having many decades of experience, I have not yet learned everything nor have I shown wisdom in all my decisions when I look back on them in hindsight."

"And how can you justify the ignorance displayed by these men that you just saved?" Blӧdhgarm asked, voice slightly rebellious, but never losing its respectful edge.

"The world is full of ignorant people. Attempting to purge Alagaësia of all of these people would be inhumane and impossible. After much reflection on this topic, I have come to the conclusion that all we can do to limit the damage of dangerous misconceptions is to prove them wrong by spreading mercy and compassion. Perhaps by saving these soldiers, they will come to realize that we elves are neither savage nor brutish and will spread this knowledge to other ignorant people in the world."

Blӧdhgarm looked thoughtful as he pondered these revelations. "Perhaps they are not the only uninformed people here. I admit that held most humans in the same regard and I am indifferent to the taking of their lives. You truly have shown intelligence and wisdom far past your years Arya svit-kona."

"Nay, I just have good friends who help me realize when I am in the wrong. But let us not dwell on such heavy matters right now. Let us set off again, we are nearing the castle."

Nodding his head, Blӧdhgarm and the other elves followed Arya as she set off running again. Time seemed to fly quickly as they carved a path of death en route to the castle. Not once were they able to persuade soldiers to surrender again and men's heads rolled as a consequence.

A large, fortified castle stood in front of them. Its proud walls boasted many quelled riots and it seemed impenetrable when looked upon. It had a pyramid-like structure to hold as many archers as possible on top of the fortress. But today, there were no archers; they were off fighting inside the city and not defending the castle. Arya knew that no matter how impenetrable a fortress could seem, they could always be felled from the inside out. And with that mindset, she led the proud, powerful elves into the depths of the castle of Dras-Leona.

* * *

_Look, we're almost at the keep. With any luck, this battle will be over quickly,_ Eragon said through his mental link to Saphira.

_Yes, from this height we can see Roran and his men are only a short distance from the castle. We will need them with us to infiltrate the keep,_

Looking below them, Eragon could see the city of Kuasta from his perch on Saphira's back from their airborne position. The once bright and vibrant city was now deserted and flowing with blood. _It is just a pity I couldn't have captured the governor when I infiltrated the city alone before. We could have avoided all of this carnage and destruction._

_It was unavoidable little one; if you had tried to capture the governor alone, you would quickly have been overwhelmed. Not even a dragon rider can withstand an entire fortress of soldiers bearing down on him. But what surprises me is the weak defenses set up and the inadequacy of the captains in Kuasta. They hardly put up a fight, _Saphira snorted.

_You should have seen the nobles before. They were more worried about their attire than the fortifications around Kuasta. The keep was a mix of confusion and chaos. I am not surprised that they offered little resistance._

_Perhaps, but it is inexcusable to be unprepared when war is pressing down on you. But I suppose it is in our favor that they were led by incapable leaders,_ Saphira said as she flew down to Roran and his men as they neared the fortress.

"We thought you might want some help seizing the keep," Eragon said jumping down from Saphira's back.

Roran broke a small smile on his face, "Of course brother, nobody in Alagaësia would turn down your assistance."

A soft chuckle escaped from Eragon's throat at Roran's comment as he asked, "What's your plan?"

"Well, if Saphira would be so kind as to take care of the archers situated along the outside of the fortress. It would not be a good idea to let her rip up the interior when we are trying to preserve as much of the city as possible. The rest of us," he said gesturing to the men gathered behind him, "Will storm the keep until we reach the governor."

"Well whenever you're ready, we will end this battle," Eragon said, nodding his head towards the entrance to the keep.

Eragon watched the Varden soldiers draw that various weapons as they marched through into the luxurious and soon-to-be blood-stained floors of the keep. Drawing his own weapon, Brisingr, Eragon followed them back to the place where the siege started.

Inside the keep was a large force of guards waiting for the group standing in formation on the gilded staircase covered with a rich, velvet carpet; willing to sacrifice their lives for the protection of the governor. "You will not pass us rebels," the apparent captain of the guards announced to the intruders.

"I am sorry it has come to this, I do not wish to take more lives than is necessary," Roran replied as he led the charge towards the guards, his men following closely behind.

Clangs of metal could be heard throughout the entire floor as echoes of the fight brought the quiet, deserted fortress to life. Savage war cries and terrified screams bounced off walls and reverberated inside the corridors, sending any civilians who might be left inside the keep running for their lives.

Eragon joined the fray right behind Roran, brandishing Brisingr in his right hand and a dwarven shield in his left. His sword too quick for the human eye to follow, wove complex webs around his enemy's weapon and cleanly cut through all of them. Blood spatters coated the well furbished walls and dried into the rich, lavish carpets.

A final war cry could be heard in the room as Roran landed a crushing blow on his opponent's exposed head. "That was not much of a fight," Roran commented dryly.

"Disappointed?" Eragon said, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards.

"Nay, I much prefer weak resistance than a full fledged army waiting for me in the shadows," Roran admitted.

"Where do you think Governor Alarace will be?" Eragon asked, changing the conversation to a more serious subject.

"Probably at the top of the keep, as far away from us as possible."

The ornate staircases seemed more forbidding and dangerous than Eragon's previous venture in the keep. The gloom that hung over the fortress seemed to darken the lamps hanging on the walls and make the various portraits all the more sinister.

"I-Is that blood dripping down the window?" One of the soldiers asked, spooked by the dark hallways.

The question answered itself shortly however, as a vicious roar filled the keep which was followed by a body or two flashing by the window and plummeted to the unforgiving ground many stories below. _These archers aren't even giving me a fight. _Saphira grumbled, _They are dead before they even see me._

_I'm sure you'll have your fill of excitement in the near future Saphira._

Saphira ignored his latest comment and continued swooping down on the soldiers and felling them in single swipes, bites or jets of fire. Occasionally, the castle would shake and vibrate when Saphira's tail would come crashing into the stone walls while she crushed a soldier to his death.

"What is this place?" One soldier wondered out loud. The rooms that they had stumbled into made the foyer seem dull and ordinary if that was possible. Pictures and portraits lined every wall and silver chalices and utensils were strewn across the floor, left behind in the haste of the chambermaids and servants.

"Must be the floor where the aristocrats live. Search the floor, perhaps we will find someone who can tell us where Lady Alarace is located," Roran ordered, dispersing his men around the opulent floor of the keep.

Roran and Eragon walked around, observing the various rooms where nobles would spend much of their time. "It is unfortunate that all the money in the city is poured into these rooms when there are severe poverty-stricken sections of Kuasta," Roran said disdainfully.

"Yes, the aristocrats have become inseparable from their gold unfortunately. But there are always such contrasting images in every city," Eragon said, thoughts going back to the broken down shantytown that he had ran through when he infiltrated Kuasta the first time.

Roran opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a soldier, "Over here sir! We found someone."

Running over to a distant corner of the keep, Eragon found himself looking at multiple aristocrats, most likely two to three different families hiding together. "What are you doing here?" Eragon questioned.

"When you _rebels_ decided to waltz your way into _our_ city, our survival mechanisms kicked into place," a man with a balding head and a wrinkled face said condescendingly.

"Where is your leader, Lady Alarace?"

"Wouldn't you like to know _elf,_" the man replied again, his arrogance towards those of a lower class most likely inherited from an unlimited supply of money.

"I _would _like to know. It would be in your best interest to tell me now," Eragon threatened, tired of the man's snobbish demeanor. "As a Dragon Rider, I can think of many ways to kill you with just one finger." To back up his threat, Eragon held up his pointer-finger and summoned a fire that hovered an inch above his finger as a demonstration.

The aristocrat's eyes widened at this exhibition of power and immediately changed his tone of voice. "Lady Alarace is in a secret room connected to the throne room. Just don't kill me," the man pleaded.

"Can we just run our swords through them? They deserve no less." One soldier sneered, drawing his sword and pointing it towards the noble.

Roran decided to step in at this time and promptly chastised the soldier. "Put that sword away immediately soldier! If you kill them, you are no better than them. We will _not_ have innocent blood on our hands like they have on theirs."

"What do we do with them then sir?" The soldier asked stiffly.

"Tie them up and watch over them. Eragon and I will locate Lady Alarace."

Following Roran up the stairs, Eragon said, "You are not the man I once knew in Carvahall. You were not the leader you are today."

Roran acknowledged the statement with a nod of his head, but did not reply. He instead increased his pace up the stairs until they reached the throne room.

"I wonder where the secret room is," Eragon mused out loud, not speaking to anybody in general.

"All we can do is it is to search for it manually," Roran sighed. "It will most likely be near the throne area, for convenience."

Eragon scanned the area around the throne as Roran suggested, looking for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary that might lead to a concealed room. His elven eyesight far surpassed that of a human and he could see the scratches on the walls, the indents in the chairs, and the multiple glittering facets on each individual pane of glass on the chandeliers. His eyes alighted on a slight and nearly unnoticeable indent in the wall adjacent to the throne.

Motioning towards Roran, Eragon ran his hands over the smooth marble and along the edge formed from the tiny indent. The depression in the wall created an edge that was around the size of a doorway. There was a torch on the top right hand corner of the depression which was held in place by an iron rung that was starting to rust.

"How do you suppose we access the passageway from here?" Roran asked.

Eragon knocked on the indented stone and a hollow, tapping noise emanated from somewhere behind the wall. "It is hollow behind this wall, there is a hallway behind it. Stand back," Eragon advised.

Planting his feet firmly on the ground, Eragon placed his flat palms on the stone and pushed as hard as he could, with all of his elven might. His muscled strained and his efforts were rewarded with a slight movement in the marble. He pushed on the wall until it hit something hard behind it. Looking at the progress he made, Eragon found that he had pushed the door-sized indentation in about three inches.

Looking at the doorway again for a clue on the next step, Eragon's eyes rested on the torch that was on the edge of the frame. He envisioned the iron rung holding the torch as a possible handle. Inspired by this train of thought, Eragon lifted the torch off of the rung and handed it to a bewildered Roran. Gripping the iron rung with both of his hands, he heaved the handle hard to the left. A grating sound was created from the stone moving on stone. Inch by inch, a passageway was revealed as the stone wall was slid in between two layers of stone, creating a sliding door of sorts.

"Well I guess we better find out where that leads," Eragon said to Roran, gesturing at the awaiting darkness. Roran nodded and led the way through the short hallway.

They came to a wooden door slightly ajar and Eragon quietly drew his sword before swinging the door open quickly. Inside was a small, plain room that had several guards inside of it. Seeing Eragon and Roran standing in the doorway with weapons unconcealed, the guards charged them, brandishing their swords, maces, axes and hammers.

The guards engaged Eragon and Roran in combat and were unfortunately, vastly inferior in terms of skill, power and speed. Eragon's sword met limited resistance as he cleaved through the guard's vulnerable necks and slid his sword through ribcages and into the heart. Similarly, Roran broke knees, wrists and elbows before he dealt the finishing blow by either caving in the chest cavity or putting dents into the skulls of men.

At long last, the guards were all dead and in the far corner of the room sat an old woman with hair pulled back into a tight bun and elegant robes flowed down her figure and dropped to the floor. "So I guess this is the end then?" The woman remarked, eyes dull and lifeless as she looked at her slain guards.

"Perhaps, what do you consider the end to be?" Roran asked, bantering with this woman whom he inferred to be Lady Alarace.

Lady Alarace looked up at him and studied him, wondering if he was mocking her, the defeated enemy. "Death, execution, trial and imprisonment; all of those I would consider 'the end'."

"It does not have to be that way," Roran started, "If you swear allegiance to me and the Varden, you can retain leadership of Kuasta so long as you pass everything by me."

"And why would you do this pray tell? Don't you want to control this city and its denizens?"

"Despite what you may think, we, the Varden, are not savages and have no desire to destroy this city, or any other city for that matter. So long as you follow some loose guidelines, we have no issue with you continuing your rule."

"And what of you Rider? Do you agree with keeping me in power? Your counterparts are not so benevolent, they take what they want and they get what they want," Lady Alarace said with a hard tone in her voice, addressing Eragon for the first time.

"It is up to Roran Stronghammer as to what goes on in this city, I will not be staying long," Eragon said, insuring that his authority did not interfere with Roran's.

"Then I will continue to govern this city under your supervision, I thank you for your generosity." She said, nodding to Roran.

"Then I suggest we start repairing the city together, your men and mine. We will be here for several months yet."

* * *

"He is not here My Lady. Every single aristocrat has evacuated the premises leaving the palace deserted," A soldier reported running up to Nasuada.

"Every room was thoroughly inspected?" Nasuada asked.

"Yes Ma'am, there is no sign of Lord Tábor anywhere. Each floor was searched carefully and we see no signs of life."

"Very well, thank you for the report. You are dismissed," Nasuada said.

Turning to Jӧrmundur, Nasuada racked her brain for where Tábor could be; he was the key to ending the battle and minimizing the damage to both sides. "What do you propose we should do now?"

Jӧrmundur looked thoughtful for a minute before answering Nasuada's question. "All we can do is to send scouts out throughout the city and hope they spot Tábor and his men. He is probably trying to escape the city, or he may have even left the city by now. Ideally, we could send Arya and the other elves to hunt him down, but unfortunately, we can't contact them anymore. She left some time ago after clearing the palace of guards. "

Heeding his advice, Nasuada called over a captain of the army and said, "Captain, please organize five groups of scouts to scour the city and look for Tábor as quickly as possible."

"Right away Ma'am!" The captain answered promptly and bowed before he left to bark out orders for his men.

Turning back to Jӧrmundur, Nasuada retrieved an elaborate map of Dras-Leona from a pouch on her belt and motioned for him to join her at a nearby vacant table. "While we wait for the scouts to return, we should plan our moves carefully before proceeding.

When she opened the map on the table, Jӧrmundur's experienced battle eyes kicked in and he immediately pointed out several key areas. "There are four exits out of Dras-Leona, one from every direction. The north and west gates here," he explained, touching the map on the two gates with his finger, "are much too close to the palace. If Lord Tábor escaped through either of these two areas, he will most likely be out of the city by now and we don't have a chance of catching him inside the city. The southern gate is controlled by the Varden and Tábor wouldn't risk escaping through that gate due to the high risk of being spotted. The last gate, the eastern gate, is the farthest gate from the palace. It is all the way on the other side of the city which makes it the most unexpected escape route. Tábor would be expected to escape through either the north or west gate due to their close proximity. He probably would assume that we would send a team of soldiers through both of those gates to recover his body. The southern gate is inaccessible to him for obvious reasons. So the east gate is the most likely escape route right now."

"Quite a good analysis Jӧrmundur, how do you plan to catch up to Tábor assuming he is going through the eastern gate?" Nasuada asked.

"They will have a sizeable head start on us, but they will be moving slowly. Nobles can't travel anywhere without a caravan of wagons carrying their possessions. If we were to assemble a squad of only soldiers with horses, we could overtake Tábor before he exits the city."

"I see. We will do as you suggest. I will lead this squad of soldiers as is my duty to the Varden. Assemble all of the soldiers on horseback in the vicinity quickly. We do not have time to waste," Nasuada said, leaving the table to ready her horse.

Nasuada took several minutes to inspect her noble stallion for injuries that it might have sustained during battle, and to check that the saddle was correctly tied together. When she finished her examination, a group of perhaps twenty soldiers had assembled behind her, ready for their orders.

"Good work Jӧrmundur, let us ride eastward to intercept Lord Tábor and end his terrorizing rule over Dras-Leona." With that, Nasuada leapt on her horse and urged her stallion to gallop towards the eastern section of the city.

Oddly enough, the adventure into the unexplored eastern section of the city was not filled with fresh and armed resistance as one might expect. All of the soldiers defending the city were in the south and west, fighting the Varden there, forsaking the eastern section to whomever might venture there.

_There are many women and children in this section of Dras-Leona, _Nasuada mused. _Must be because the rest of Dras-Leona is under siege and deemed too dangerous. They look from behind thick curtains and boarded up windows, but the fear is evident in their eyes. They think we will kill them._

The wind rushing past her face and the sound of pattering hooves on stone raised the adrenaline in Nasuada's body quickly. The short journey was a refreshing adventure from the forced marches everyday and a quick hiatus from the mundane plotting, planning and scheming of the Varden's Council.

Nasuada spotted a cluster of Varden soldiers running towards them, or were they running away from something? "My Lady, we were sent to scout the city for Lord Tábor. We have found his caravan just up ahead. They are moving slowly, but will soon be out of the city, you must hurry!" One of the soldiers said.

"Thank you, you may return to your duties previous to this one," Nasuada said, dismissing them.

Prodding her horse to turn around, Nasuada began speaking to the unit of cavalrymen stationed behind her. "You heard the men, Lord Tábor is nearby and he will feel the hard steel of our weaponry. The harm he has caused can be felt in all four corners of Alagaësia. Let him fear us, the Varden! Charge!" With that, Nasuada drew her sword from its sheath and her horse began galloping down the street at full speed.

Upon seeing Lord Tábor and his guards protecting him, Nasuada let out a fierce war cry and led the twenty soldiers behind her into a cavalry charge.

The guards protecting Lord Tábor seemed unprepared for the sudden assault and many were crushed on the first attack. By the second attack, they had recovered from the shock of the surprise attack and assembled in a formation used to repel cavalry charges such as this one.

The second charge met with less success; Nasuada saw that a few of her men had fallen to pikes and swords when they crashed into the wall of guards. The battle quickly turned into one-on-one fights or two-on-one fights. Although Nasuada and her men were slightly outnumbered, they had the advantage of being on horseback. The height advantage allowed Nasuada to cleave her enemies from above and to put more force into her blows.

After just a few short minutes of fighting, half of Tábor's men lay dead, blood seeping through the cracks in the ground. "Surrender now and be spared a useless death!" Nasuada said to all of the opposing soldiers, her voice soft but carried throughout the battlefield.

Lord Tábor spoke for the first time since retreating into his wagon in fear when the raid began, "Keep fighting you maggots. Don't let a single rebel live. Kill them all now!"

Nasuada looked on with great disappointment as the fighting continued despite her offer. More lives from both sides would be lost in a victoryless skirmish. She cleaved another man's head open as he ran up to her attempting to wrestle Nasuada off of her stallion.

The fight began to subside as quickly as it began. The initial assault on the caravan demoralized the guards and they fought poorly as a result. Swords lay strewn across the streets of Dras-Leona and severed heads lay next to decapitated bodies.

During all of this, Lord Tábor had attempted to escape into an adjacent alleyway, forsaking his men to be slaughtered. Nasuada cut him off on her horse and pointed her sword down upon him, forcing him to surrender.

"So, here we are. You at my mercy, and my mercy alone. No more guards to hide behind. What say you Lord Tábor?" Nasuada said, bile rising up in her throat at the pathetic sight of Tábor.

"I s-s-surrender Varden Leader. You-You've bested me," Tábor managed to spit out despite the fact that his legs had given way underneath him. He was nearly sobbing by this point.

"Who said that I will allow you to surrender you despicable form of life?" Nasuada said with a hard voice.

"B-But y-you offered it b-before d-didn't you?"

Nasuada scoffed at this statement. "You sacrificed your men, the men who fought for you, died for you; and then attempted to flee, leaving them to their own fates. You do not deserve the option of surrendering."

"I-I'm s-sorry, I w-was s-scared. D-Don't hurt me p-please," Tábor begged.

"You also ruled one of the most corrupt cities in all of the Empire," Nasuada started, "Slavery reinstated, monopolization of wealth and a corrupt court system. Your faithful subjects were sold into slavery, and lived in horrible, despicable conditions. You jailed anybody who dared stand against your oppression, second only to Galbatorix himself. Why do you deserve mercy?"

"I-I j-just did what I t-thought was r-right. I n-never meant to h-hurt anybody. I-I s-swear," Tábor sobbed, reducing his pride and respect with each passing second.

"You thought you were helping people by selling them to awful men? Or by splitting up families? Or by creating a deep division between economic classes? You do not deserve the mercy of being imprisoned for the rest of your life." And with that, Nasuada swung her sword, chopping off the head of Lord Tábor, ruler of none.

* * *

Author's Note:

Truly sorry for the month and a half wait for this chapter; I had a busy month and a half. Midterms and SAT's in the same week, vacation, new video games for Christmas, and a loss of motivation.

The chapter was interesting to write in more ways than one, but that is all I'll say on that subject.

Please, please review, I got like 5-6 reviews on the last two chapters combined? That is part of the loss of motivation. But thanks to all who do review regularly, the next chapter won't take nearly as long to upload.

Hope you enjoyed, toodles.


	7. Hope for the Best

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 7: Hope for the Best

_It got quite cold very quickly, _Eragon commented to Saphira as a cold, blustery wind snaked its way through the camp.

_What did you expect? Nasuada warned us it would be a harsh winter we're not even into the heart of the winter months yet_, Saphira admonished_._

_You are right; I was just taken by surprise. The weather is uncharacteristically cold for this time of year._

_Perhaps, But it is nothing unmanageable. I suppose you'll just have to wear some heavier clothing then._

Eragon snorted at this, _Easy for you to say, your scales protect you from the elements._

Eragon broke off the conversation at that point due to reaching the entrance of Nasuada's pavilion, the entrance blocked by two Nighthawks. "Greetings Shadeslayer," One of the Nighthawks said, "Do you require something?"

"I request audience with Lady Nasuada, I bring an update on the situation in Kuasta," He replied.

One of the guards quickly entered the tent and just as quickly returned to his post. "You may see Lady Nasuada now Shadeslayer."

Eragon walked past the two Nighthawks and ducked under the flaps protecting Nasuada and company from the eyes of curious passerby. Upon entering the tent, Eragon watched with detached interest the surprised and shocked faces of several people inside. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Eragon asked ruefully with a small smile.

"Eragon!" Nasuada cried out, recovering quickly from the surprise. "We were just about to adjourn for the day. If you would wait a few moments until we can talk in a more private setting, it would be appreciated."

"Of course My Lady," Eragon responded sitting down in a vacant seat at the table that everybody was gathered around.

Nasuada resumed the meeting as if no intrusion had occurred. "As I was saying before, we have around half a year until we must march upon Urû'baen. Due to the time we have until the final battle, we will most likely not hold a true War Council for several months. Does anybody have anything to discuss before we disband the last council of this year?"

When nobody raised their voice, Nasuada dismissed everyone from the room before beckoning for Eragon to take a seat near her. However, one person did not leave the pavilion; Arya approached Nasuada and took a seat closer to the Varden's leader as if Nasuada's invitation extended to her as well. "I think that we have much to discuss right now that includes me Nasuada," Arya said coolly.

"Yes, it would be best if you stayed, even though the Varden will be stationary for the next half a year, I doubt that will be the same for you and Eragon," Nasuada agreed.

Eragon quietly took the seat offered to him by Nasuada before asking, "How fared the battle over Dras-Leona?"

"We met less resistance than expected," Nasuada admitted, "Lord Tábor hardly put up a fight before he was beheaded."

"Tábor was killed in battle? I'm surprised he would willingly fight alongside his men," Eragon said, clueless of the real series of events.

"Nay, I executed him when he tried to abandon his guards. He did not deserve to live, he hurt too many people, broke too many families to be allowed to live," Nasuada said, eyes becoming misty and undecipherable.

Eragon couldn't answer for a second as his throat closed up. He remembered his first visit to Dras-Leona; he saw a six year old girl being torn from her mother and sold to a conceited noble. "Yes, Lord Tábor deserved to die, I am glad you did not show mercy on him."

At his hoarse reply, Arya looked up sharply; but did not comment on his apparent lack of compassion in that statement. Instead, she asked Eragon, "You can see firsthand our victory, but what of Kuasta?"

Eragon summarized the whole event quickly. "Kuasta was similar to the battle you fought here I suspect, weak defenses and low morale. Roran is now residing in the city with the Varden, but allowed Lady Alarace to remain the governor of Kuasta."

"It is unexpected to say the least that Galbatorix has so willingly given up control of his major cities. He might be amassing all of his forces inside the Black City, consolidating all of his power into his stronghold," Nasuada said.

"It is impossible to determine the logic behind all of Galbatorix's moves. A more relevant question would be, what should we do now? Eragon is not yet strong enough to defeat Galbatorix, even with the elves aiding him," Arya said.

"Have either of you figured out how to separate Galbatorix from his Eldunarya?" Nasuada asked.

Eragon's eyebrows furrowed into deep lines when he answered, "Nay, Saphira and I have thought long and hard on this and it seems nigh impossible. Nobody even knows the existence of the Eldunarya; knowing an informant who knows where a cache of them would be is near impossible."

"Also, they are most likely in close proximity to Galbatorix; impossible for anybody apart from Eragon, the elven guards or myself from accessing them. To send one of us to the heart of the Empire is suicide," Arya inputted.

"You are most likely correct, but do we have any other options?" Nasuada asked, a hint of despair in her voice.

"Well, there might be," Eragon hedged, unsure of his idea, "But I will need to consult with Arya first before I mention it."

Nasuada wore a slightly puzzled expression on her face, "Very well, come back to me at the end of the day after you two have discussed your idea. Until then, you may go, I am sure you are tired Eragon."

Eragon stood up and nodded to both Nasuada and Arya before departing. He did not make it far before Arya caught up to him. "Eragon, what did you need to discuss with me? No better time than right now."

Unsurprised, Eragon gestured to an inconspicuous path leading out of the center of Dras-Leona where there would be no curious ears nearby. Arya stayed in stride with Eragon and they made their aimless path side by side.

They were a fair distance away from the hustle of the palace by the time either of them had said another word. "Do you remember when I told you about the Vault of Souls?" Eragon asked bringing up a memory of several months passed.

"Yes," Arya replied without hesitation, "What of it?"

"Solembum told me that when my power was insufficient, I should go to the Vault of Souls. If we do not have access to Galbatorix's Eldunarya, I certainly will have inadequate strength," Eragon explained.

"How would you propose to find the Vault of Souls? We have no clue of its whereabouts nor how to access it."

"I was thinking that it might be situated somewhere on Vroengard. Perhaps the Riders had concealed it somewhere in their city. As for opening it, Solembum also said that I have to speak my true name to the Rock of Kuthian to be given access to the Vault of Souls."

Arya had a thoughtful expression on her face as she pondered these revelations. "Do you know your true name?"

"No," Eragon admitted, "But Brom once told me that an elf has the ability to discern another's true name if they wished. Would you be willing to help me find mine?"

A deep line was etched into Arya's delicate eyebrows before she deigned to respond. "I could certainly try if you wish, but it is not a light decision. I have never found another's true name myself, but I know the science behind it. To determine your true name on purpose, I must delve into the deep recesses of your mind and reach your core. It is a deeply personal task and all of your thoughts and secrets will be laid out before me. Think about it before you ask me to do so."

Eragon did not need to think much on the subject. She already knew most of Eragon's life already, his mind was always open to her; he thought she knew that. "I will allow you access to my mind Arya Drӧttningu."

"As you wish Eragon, I hope you are ready." With that, Arya extended her consciousness into Eragon's mind and began her search.

As soon as she entered his mind, a soothing presence swept through his head. The melodious music of Arya's mind eased whatever discomfort Eragon might have had about this intrusion into his personal space.

Unlike the twin's voyage into his mind, Arya was much gentler, causing no unnecessary pain. She sifted through his memories rather than tearing through them and the only discomfort felt was due to her presence, not her methods.

Eragon felt embarrassment when Arya stumbled upon memories of herself. She saw all of his memories from his early lusting after her to his confession at the Agaetí Blӧdhren. A slight twinge of discomfort emanated from Arya as she reviewed those memories, but did not bring the topic up.

Arya ventured into his mind sluggishly; being careful that she did not miss anything. She was slowly but surely making her way to Eragon's very core, his most intimate place imaginable. This was perhaps even more intimate than physical love; Arya was in his very being, inhabiting every inch of his mind.

Before he could so much as twitch a finger, Arya had withdrawn from his mind, leaving an empty void where she had been. "Did you find it Arya svit-kona?" Eragon inquired, hope rising inside of him.

Arya did not answer for a lengthy stretch of time, a puzzled expression sitting on her features. "I do not know what has happened Eragon, it seems as if I have failed."

Eragon soon shared the same expression that Arya wore on her face. "How? I've never heard of any elf being unable to determine another's true name."

Arya had lost her usual impassiveness by this point, frustration evident on her face. "I don't know! I could see your essence, a shining beacon that was beckoning to me. When I reached it however, there was a bridge of sorts that lead directly to it; but the bridge was broken, only half of it was intact. The other half was missing and I couldn't reach the core. It is difficult to describe in words."

Eragon flinched away from her emotional outburst, somewhat scared by her mental instability. "Has this ever happened in history before? An undetectable true name?"

Arya's eyes were clouded with thought for a brief second as she dug through her mind. "Yes, there was one case…Eragon the First was also unable to discern his true name."

The pupils of Eragon's eyes widened in surprise. "My name sake? How did he end up finding his true name?"

"He found the home of the werecats, deep in the Hadarac Desert. The werecats helped him find his true name, other than, we have no information. We know not of the exact location of the werecats," Arya explained.

Eragon considered this option carefully before choosing his next words. "If this is true, then the only way for Saphira and I to defeat Galbatorix and Murtagh is to find the werecats and uncover my true name."

"You have no idea how long that will take, you could be gone for years," Arya admonished. "Galbatorix will not wait for you to return before he eliminates the Varden."

"I know, but we have no other option, I must search for the power necessary to overcome Galbatorix," Eragon said, backpedaling.

Arya's emerald eyes studied him for a long while, long enough to make Eragon shift unconsciously under her gaze. "If you must recklessly search for the Vault of Souls and your true name, then I must accompany you. After all, you are quite inept at keeping out of danger, are you not?"

Eragon could feel the heat rise to his face. "That is very kind of you Arya, but I am sure you have more important duties around here to attend to."

"More important than guarding our only dragon rider? I think not," Arya rebuked.

"I suppose I have no choice in the matter, Saphira and I are grateful for your assistance Arya svit-kona," Eragon responded, a small smile lighting his features.

Arya nodded in approval. "We should tell Nasuada of our plans now; we should leave as soon as possible."

* * *

"Would you care to eat with me?" Nasuada asked as Eragon and Arya entered her pavilion for the second time of the day.

"If it pleases you My Lady," Eragon said, his empty stomach making the decision easier.

Nasuada pointed to two empty chairs next to her, waiting for the pair to sit down. "It does. While we eat, you can tell me the fruits of your discussion."

Eragon rolled a piece of bread between his fingers while he searched for the correct words to say, Nasuada would not like his plan. "Arya and I have both agreed that since we cannot hope to separate Galbatorix from his Eldunarya, the best course of action would be to increase my strength to the level of Galbatorix's."

Nasuada looked up from her platter in surprise. "You have a way of becoming as strong as Galbatorix? Why did you not mention this before?"

Arya answered her this time, "It is not certain that our solution will make Eragon stronger, it is merely a hunch."

"What makes you think that this alternative solution will give Eragon power then?" Nasuada questioned.

"We are not certain if Eragon will gain power at all, but there is no other feasible plan to stop Galbatorix," Arya continued, giving Nasuada foolproof logic that she could not deny.

"Very well then, what is this solution of yours?" Nasuada sighed, her food forgotten on her plate.

Eragon swallowed a fork full of steaming vegetables, gasping as it burned his throat. "I would like to search for the Vault of Souls; I was told by a reliable source that when I needed power, I would find it in the vault."

"And pray tell, who is this source?" Nasuada pressed.

"I'm sorry My Lady, it would be best if I did not tell you, but he is quite reliable all the same," Eragon said, dodging the question.

Nasuada gave Eragon a hard look that would have made any lesser man shrivel in their chair. "And do you know where this vault is located?"

"I do not know where it is, I have a hunch however that it is somewhere on Dorú Areaba, home of the Dragon Riders. But first, I must find my true name, or else I cannot access this vault," Eragon replied, ignoring the withering looks aimed at him by Nasuada.

"True name?" Nasuada asked, her lack of knowledge about the Ancient Language hindering her comprehension.

"It is the name of your very being in the Ancient Language, it gives great power to the person who wields it," Arya explained.

"How will you find your true name then?"

Trying to avoid going into a long and complex discussion about the history of the elves, Eragon cut out all the unnecessary details. "I plan on finding the home of the werecats deep in the Hadarac Desert. They will be able to tell me my true name."

"And do you know where exactly to find these werecats?" Nasuada asked, eyes narrowing.

"Well…no," Eragon hedged, "But the Hadarac Desert is not so difficult for Saphira and I to navigate. We will find them."

Nasuada sighed, covering her eyes with her hands. She suddenly seemed much older than she actually was. "Then your plan is to hope you find the werecats, hope they tell you your true name, hope you find the Vault of Souls, and then hope that it will give you power? It seems quite foolish."

Eragon was unable to stifle a small chuckle that escaped from his lips. "Yes My Lady, that just about sums it up. Do you have a better alternative?"

"No," Nasuada admitted, "How long will you be away?"

Sensing a victory close at hand, Eragon pressed his advantage. "I can't say My Lady, but if I do not find what I am looking for, then we have no hope for overthrowing Galbatorix."

Nasuada sat back in her chair, twining her fingers under her chin. She was lost in thought, her eyes unfocused. "Very well Eragon, I give you leave to search for your true name and this Vault of Souls."

"Thank you My Lady," Eragon said, relieved that it had gone as smoothly as it did.

"Nasuada interrupted his interruption testily, "I was not done yet Eragon. There is another condition; Arya must accompany you. Perhaps she will be able to protect you where I cannot."

Eragon let out an audible groan, was everyone so convinced that he could not handle himself? "Of course my Lady, Arya has already forced me to agree to her presence during the journey."

Arya smirked, it was the first expression that appeared on her face during the dinner. "We only have your best interests in mind Eragon."

Nasuada finally slipped in her hard demeanor and allowed a small smile to considerably brighten up her features. "Yes Eragon, you are so reckless that if we do not worry about you, then nobody will."

Heat flooded into Eragon's face, he knew that they were right. "I have Saphira with me, she always worries," he retorted.

"One voice of reason was never enough for you, a second one to agree with the first is the only way for you to forget your periods of denseness," Arya replied laughing slightly, her voice a melodic trill.

Eragon held up his hands in a mock gesture of defeat, "Alright, alright, point well taken. On a more serious note, do we have permission to leave tomorrow?"

Nasuada waved them off, dismissing them from her pavilion. "Yes, go, the sooner the better. Good luck Eragon, you will need it, we all will."

* * *

Author's Note:

A short chapter, but it nicely sets up the second phase of this story, hope you enjoyed it.

And I got 1 review last chapter; thanks to Writer of the North for that review though. But seriously, if I don't get a decent amount of reviews, I won't update until I get an undisclosed number of them.

That's all for my rant, hope you weren't disappointed with the chapter, I didn't edit it as much as I usually do.

And yay for over a foot of snow, fun stuff.


	8. Under the Cover of Darkness

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 8: Under the Cover of Darkness

Sitting on Saphira's back, Eragon could feel the dry air that permeated the Hadarac Desert. The sun relentlessly attacked the exposed skin of Eragon and Arya, but did not leave any marks or inflamed skin. Looking below them, a sea of sand and tumbleweeds covered the land. The heat in the desert was a stark contrast to the frigid conditions along the coast of the Empire.

_Did you miss the Hadarac Desert? You said long ago that you wanted to revisit the desert again, _Eragon asked Saphira.

_Yes, the heat makes me feel more alive and it is quiet, a respite from the noisy Varden camps, _Saphira answered.

_The quietness of the desert is soothing, it helps calm my anxiety about the upcoming battle in Urû'baen._

_The war councils did not help your mental health I'm sure. Full of bickering nobles who have never seen a decapitated man before, _Saphira said, disdain for the nobles coloring her voice.

_The nobles are more worried about their bowstrings than they are about the conditions of their men, _Eragon said, agreeing with Saphira's sentiment.

_And you have to memorize all of their names to boot. Well if nothing else, those nobles are useful for getting free meat and mead._

_We would not be invited back after one meal. You put the voracious appetites of nobles for fine cuisine to shame with your stomach, _Eragon said, poking fun at Saphira.

_Didn't Garrow teach you any manners Eragon? You shouldn't comment on the amount of food a female eats, _she rebuked, ending their mental conversation.

By this time, the sun had begun to set and Eragon surveyed the horizon for a suitable camping spot. Off in the far distance he saw the crags in the center of the Hadarac Desert that had sheltered Murtagh and Eragon during his first forage into the sandy depths of the Hadarac.

Saphira noticed the crags as well and began a descent that carried the group to the landmark rocks that were the nucleus of the desert. Hauling their restless bodies off of Saphira, Eragon and Arya rolled out their bedrolls and retrieved food out of their packs.

With the lack of trees and wood available in the Hadarac Desert, the group sat in the dark, the only light coming from the waxing moon, eating loaves of bread. A comfortable silence formed between Eragon and Arya, the only sounds that disrupted the night were sounds from a conglomeration of local wildlife and the occasional scraping of talons against stone whenever Saphira repositioned herself.

"What do you think the home of the werecats looks like?" Eragon asked, breaking the quiet barrier of the nighttime.

"I do not know; there are no known records of the werecats. Eragon the First refused to recount the details of his journey in search of werecats; whatever secrets he held went with him to the grave," Arya said.

"I hope we find them quickly, I do not look forward to eating naught but bread for weeks," Eragon said frowning.

Arya's demeanor lightened slightly as she smiled lightly for a second. "I'm sure that you would be ecstatic for a simple loaf of bread if you were imprisoned by Galbatorix."

"The days spent in the Hadarac Desert eating only bread would be considered luxurious compared to the dark cells of Urû'baen," Eragon replied, playing along good naturedly.

_I would hope that Eragon would be thinking about escaping the clutches of Galbatorix instead of daydreaming about bread were we ever captured, _Saphira broadcasted to everyone with a dragonish smile.

_I suppose you expect me to rescue you as well while I daydream about bread Saphira?_ Eragon rebuked.

_Of course, who will fly you away from the castle if you don't? _Saphira snorted.

Eragon rolled his eyes at that and dropped the subject. After a brief lapse into silence, he asked Arya, "Why were you so upset with Queen Islanzadí when we visited Gil'ead?"

Arya glanced over at him from where she sat cross-legged, her superior elven eyesight perforating the darkness. "Why shouldn't I have been upset? She risked everything we fight for."

"I don't mean to pry Arya svit-kona, but the argument seemed to have a deeper, personal cause," Eragon pressed, hoping he didn't cross an unspoken line.

She studied him quietly for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she looked down at her hands before she responded. "You are correct; I was quite angry with my mother because it is not the first time that she showed a tremendous amount of stubbornness and short-sightedness. When I was captured by Durza, she severed all contact with the Varden and left them scrambling for supplies and resources."

"She was a mother who believed her daughter to be dead, any mother would be overcome by grief and it would impair their decisions," Eragon said.

"You don't understand," Arya said, sounding exasperated, "She is a queen, it is her duty to make the best choices for the kingdom and not for personal grief to influence her decisions. She potentially risked all of Alagaësia by severing contact with the Varden."

"Perhaps, but at least nothing came from her impetuous decisions, we are still here alive, no?" Eragon said, trying to lighten the gloomy mood that had settled over the camp.

Arya fell silent again for a long while and by the look on her face, Eragon could see that Arya was fighting with herself whether to tell him something, so he waited. "That is not entirely true," Arya finally said, "When I still carried Saphira's egg; Fäolin, Glenwing and I were heading to Osilon from Farthen Dûr. We were ambushed by Durza and Urgals when we entered Du Weldenvarden."

"What does this have to do with your mother?" Eragon interrupted.

Eragon quailed under Arya's gaze and was soon sorry he had asked. "My mother had known of the Shade's whereabouts but neglected to inform me. She believed that I would travel from Farthen Dûr to Sílthrim and then west to Osilon. After Osilon, we were to travel west to Ceunon which would enable to us to completely avoid Durza altogether. However, Fäolin, Glenwing and I decided to take a faster route and cut through the center of the Hadarac Desert and then enter Osilon through the south. Had Queen Islanzadí informed me of Durza's location, I would have taken a different route or avoided Osilon completely. But instead, two people died because of her foolishness."

Eragon could see the whites of Arya's knuckles as she clenched them tightly. He didn't know what he could say, so he opted to remain quiet. He could see Arya hugging her knees tightly to her chest and attempting to maintain a cool façade.

"My mother cost me my mate and love," Arya said eventually, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Fäolin and I had been together for decades, we traveled together, we fought together, we ate together."

Eragon's heart clenched at her words, but he did not express them on his face. "Do you hate your mother for that?"

"Sometimes, I cannot even bear to see my mother, she was the reason that Fäolin died. But I have to see her, she is the queen and to refuse her would be folly," Arya said dispassionately. "I was fortunate though. When Fäolin was killed, I did not have time to mourn his death. First, I was running from Durza and then I was focusing on maintaining my mental barriers to ensure that Durza could not gain secrets of the elves. It was only after you rescued me that I had time to brood over Fäolin's death. But even then, his death was somewhat cushioned by the time passed."

Eragon could only look into Arya's eyes and hope to convey some compassion in that contact. "Fäolin and I were kindred spirits; we thought similarly and comforted each other. We were never separated from each other for more than a day and knew each other as well as one person is able to understand another."

By now, Arya had streaks of tears gracefully floating down her cheeks and she tried to hide them. She dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, but did not fool Eragon. She had fallen silent and did not seem as if she would talk again for a long while.

Eragon scooted over next to Arya and lightly wrapped his arm around her shoulder, allowing Arya to lean against him. The gesture was an offer of comfort and friendship, holding no notion of romance in it. Arya's body stiffened under his touch and remained rigid for several minutes. Eventually, Arya loosened her muscles and allowed herself to lean her head against Eragon's shoulder, maybe for once, allowing herself to be comforted by another person.

An indefinite amount of time passed without either of them moving a muscle and one might mistake them for a pair of statues in the center of the Hadarac Desert. "Not everything that came out of Islanzadí's fateful decision was unpleasant," Arya said, breaking the long silence, her voice regaining a modicum of composure.

Eragon glanced down at Arya's perfect features, "What do you mean?"

"Our friendship, yours and mine, was a direct result of my capture and your subsequent rescue," She said, the edges of her mouth tilting upwards, but it was not a true smile.

"We wouldn't have become friends if we had met under less strenuous circumstances?" Eragon objected, eyebrows furrowing.

"Most likely not," Arya admitted, "I would not have felt indebted to you and would not have gotten to know you as well."

"Not to mention you would have elven companions to talk to instead of having to talk to me for human contact," Eragon said slyly.

Arya rolled her eyes. "I talk with Nasuada," Arya retorted after a few silent moments had eclipsed.

A congenial silence grew between them and both were loathe to break it. An unspoken bond linked the pair, something nobody else would or could understand. Each could understand what the other was thinking during that moment and understood everything about one another. Both Eragon and Arya sat in their locked places, just basking in the other's company.

The moon had begun to wane by the time the silence was shattered. "Eragon?" Arya said, a question as much as a statement.

"Hmm?" Was all Eragon replied with.

Arya hesitated before she spoke again, "I am glad I met you."

Hours later, they pair could still be seen in the same position, propped up against one another as they slept through the hardships of the world and the isolation of the Hadarac Desert.

* * *

_Isn't the weather beautiful Little One? _Saphira asked, roaring her jubilance into the clear sky.

_If sand would stop flying into my eyes and mouth, then yes, it is beautiful, _Eragon said grumpily.

_Bah, you are just sore that you did not get as much sleep as you wanted last night, _Saphira snorted, dismissing his negativity.

_It was not my fault, what was I supposed to do? Fall asleep while she mourned? _Eragon asked, rolling his eyes; there seemed to be a lot of eye rolling lately.

_Well you could have, _Saphira said smirking, _But it probably would not help your love interests._

Eragon felt his cheeks redden and heat flushed up his neck and face. _You know last night wasn't like that; I was just being a friend._

Pride colored Saphira's voice when she spoke again. _I know Little One, you have matured greatly since we first arrived in Du Weldenvarden. You would not have comforted Arya out of friendship before we started training, or even after the Agaetí Blӧdhren._

_I am glad you think so, I was beginning to think everyone believed me to be immature, _Eragon said with a grin.

_Perhaps you are still half fool, half mature, _Saphira sniffed, _Your grin is quite unbecoming you know._

Eragon smirked, _Only the boring are serious all the time; we are the polar opposite of boring, are we not?_

_You are a danger magnet, I'll grant you that, _Saphira admitted, _But I would prefer you safe over interesting._

_If I was not interesting, then you would not have hatched for me, _Eragon replied.

Saphira snorted, a plume of smoke escaping from her nostrils, _You were a very boring person before I hatched for you._

_There seems to be an oasis a few leagues from here, _Saphira broadcasted to both Eragon and Arya.

_An oasis? What is an oasis doing in the center of the desert, an area that is extremely dry? _Arya asked, sounding skeptical.

_I don't know, but we should check it out, _Eragon replied.

_It could be a trap, _Arya offered, always the cautious one.

_The only ones capable of maintaining a mirage of that size would be Murtagh and Galbatorix, both of whom are on the other side of the Empire, _Saphira rebuked, settling the issue.

The group landed on the outskirts of the oasis, approaching the anomaly warily. As they reached the green grasses of the patch of land, the air seemed to shimmer in front of them, but promptly disappeared. Suddenly, a shaggy boy with a dagger in hand came running at them quickly.

Arya drew her elven crafted sword from its sheath and Eragon drew Brisingr; both stood in a defensive stance in case of an attack. The unknown boy did not attack however and came to a full stop a few feet from them. "Halt, you are in the presence of the Ahkari Clan, Nomads of the Hadarac Desert," The shaggy boy announced.

"The Ahkari Clan? I have never heard of such a clan before in the Hadarac Desert," Arya said, eyebrows slanting upwards.

"Of course not elf, we are an obscure clan, but we have roamed Alagaësia for millennia's, even longer than you," The boy replied with a mischievous grin.

Something was nagging Eragon about this boy. Had he seen him somewhere before? "You look familiar, have we meet before?"

Arya glanced at him quickly, "You know him Eragon?"

The shaggy boy smirked at Eragon, "Nay, we have never met, I am quite sure I would remember meeting a dragon before."

Thoughts were racing through Eragon's head, the way he held himself and the dagger looked so familiar. Suddenly it hit him on top of the head; the boy was a spitting image of the human form that Solembum took whenever he transformed into a human. "The Ahkari Clan wouldn't happen to be a clan of _werecats, _would it?"

The boy smirked again, "It took you long enough, I fear for the future of Alagaësia with the size of your brain. But enough of that, our king, King Saldmeer wishes to greet you."

Arya did not look convinced, but followed the werecat all the same. "Keep your weapon drawn Eragon, we do not know if they are telling the truth," She muttered in a low voice, as to not be overheard.

They were led to an area full of tree stumps, each was a mere foot off of the ground. On one of the stumps was a large, grey werecat, yawning sleepily. "Your lordship, I have brought the Dragon Rider as you requested," Their guide said.

The grey werecat merely flicked his tail up in response. _You may go now._

Eragon, Arya and Saphira were left alone with the werecat and stood awkwardly near the werecat. _Please, have a seat on the stumps, _The king said_._

_Thank you Your Grace_, Eragon said, _I have many questions_.

_Of course you do, I have been expecting you for a year now, but ask your questions_, The king said.

_Why do you sit on tree stumps? Don't kings usually sit in royal pavilions or castles_? Was Eragon's first inquiry.

King Saldmeer merely rolled his eyes at this question, _We werecats can't sit on chairs in our natural forms, stumps make for an excellent cat-napping place, don't you agree?_

Eragon reddened at the obvious answer but persisted in his questions anyways, _Why did the other werecat first announce himself as part of the Ahkari Clan and not of the werecat clan?_

_I enjoy seeing how intelligent visitors are. The quicker they realize we are werecats, the wittier they are. You appear to be somewhat clever, but with the direction of your questions, I'll probably have to retract that opinion. Seeing as your questions get us nowhere, I'll just explain everything to you, _The King said in an exasperated voice.

King Saldmeer waited for Eragon to nod before he continued, _We werecats have been a long-lived, but slowly dying race in Alagaësia. This oasis is the main settlement for all werecats and others you may encounter in Alagaësia are wanderers who have decided that this life is not for them. Two examples of this would be Solembum and Maud, whom you both know I take it?_

Eragon nodded, _Aye, we have met them before. Solembum is with Angela the Herbalist and Maud is in Ellesméra._

_This oasis is protected by ancient wards, created by the Grey Folk eons ago. It is a mirage as you might say; only those who are deemed worthy may find this place. If someone has no purpose of finding us, the werecats, then they will never find us. The oasis will never appear for people who are not blessed with a fortunate wyrda, _The king continued.

_So you mean, if you were a part of our wyrdas, then we would never have found you? _Eragon interrupted.

_Precisely, and I know why you are here Eragon Shadeslayer, Bromsson and heir to the throne of Alagaësia._

Eragon's eyes widened and were left incapable of speech, so Arya spoke in his stead. _The throne of Alagaësia? The last king of the Broddring Kingdom, King Angrenost, was killed and all of his heirs hunted down. Galbatorix made sure to eliminate all humans with even a trace of royal blood running through his veins. It is not possible that Eragon is of noble birth._

_Hah, did I say heir to the Broddring Kingdom? Nay, Eragon is a long lost descendant of King Palancar, original human king of Alagaësia_, The werecat proclaimed.

_That is not possible, _Eragon stuttered, _My father is Brom and he was from Kuasta._

_Brom was not of royal blood, _King Saldmeer said, _Hold still your tongue for a minute and let me explain. King Palancar had several sons, one of whom killed the king himself. The family was eventually reduced to ruin and rubble and every member of the royal family was killed in one way or another. However, Tristaghir the son of Helsnegh who was the daughter of Rhaesyr who was the son of King Palancar himself bore a bastard son, an illegitimate heir. This son was never known by other humans, only by us, the werecats, keepers of the secrets. Selena was the daughter of Garland, who can be traced back all the way to Bernard, bastard son of Tristaghir. _

All Eragon could do was splutter, _I'm no noble; I was raised in Carvahall, a peasant._

_There were rumors of Palancar's blood running a faint line through Carvahall, _Arya said, studying Eragon closely.

_Exactly, you, Eragon, are the heir of the throne of Alagaësia and are of royal blood, _The werecat king said.

_If Selena was of royal blood, wouldn't that make Roran also of royal blood? Garrow was Selena's brother and they share the same blood. Roran should claim the throne, not me. I am a Dragon Rider, any claim I held was erased by my current status, _Eragon said, desperately trying to rid himself of noble claims.

_That is true; perhaps Roran can use this claim to gain more men for the Varden. People will follow a king's claim, _Saphira said, inputting her thoughts for the first time.

_Aye, Roran has as much claim to throne as you, but you will need your heritage soon, and it is imperative that you know your bloodline, _King Saldmeer said.

_Why would I need my family tree? _Eragon asked confused.

_Again with the silly questions, _The werecat sighed, _You came here for your true name no?_

_Aye, I did, but I don't see what that has to do with anything, _Eragon said, becoming all the more confused with each passing sentence.

_Follow me, _King Saldmeer said, leaping off his stump and marching towards a large glass mirror. _Here is the mystical mirror of eons past, forged by the great Nehastica, forger of the Grey Folk, the Mirror of Truth._

Arya let out a barely audible gasp, _The mirror was believed to be a fantasy, dreamt up by wistful thinkers. I did not know it truly existed._

_You elves consider yourselves knowledgeable, but there is much you do not know, nor will ever, _The werecat said with a twinkle in his eye.

Eragon stepped up to the mirror and looked into it, trying to determine what he was meant to see in its depths. As he looked into it, Eragon saw his reflection, a spitting image of himself. Without warning, the reflection split into two parts and the Mirror of Truth sent a huge surge of energy causing Eragon to be blown back twenty feet.

_W-What was that? _Eragon asked, still shell shocked from his unexpected flight.

_That my Dragon Rider is the truth of the mirror. The mirror will expel anybody that is not deemed ready. You are still only a part of what you will become. When you find your other half, you will be complete and ready to gaze into the depths of the mirror. Until that time, you will be unable to find your true name._

_What do you mean I have to find my other half? I have Saphira, she is as much of a part of me as I am of her, _Eragon protested.

_She is a major component of your being yes, but you must discover the rest of yourself. Until you do so, you will never find your true name, _King Saldmeer said smirking.

_What must he do to complete himself? Surely you must know, _Arya asked.

_How long it takes for to be complete is up to him. But I do know the course he should take and I shall tell you, _King Saldmeer started, _King Galbatorix is growing desperate and he has sent out his pet, Murtagh, to cities to find somebody to hatch for the green egg. In a fortnight, Murtagh will be holding the green egg and will be in Narda. Make of that what you will._

_So we must hunt down Murtagh and retrieve the dragon egg? _Arya asked.

_That would be a start, I have told you all I know, you would best be off, _King Saldmeer said lazily, closing one eye.

"I suppose we must fight Murtagh and Thorn," Eragon said, conferring with Arya.

"How can you even think of fighting Murtagh? You barely defeated him last time, and that was with the help of a dozen elven spell casters," Arya argued.

"Perhaps, but last time I forgot I had Aren," Eragon said, fingering the ring on his finger. "We will not lose this time; Aren has enough energy in it to kill Murtagh."

Arya sighed, pinching her eyes shut in concentration. "I hope for your sake that you are correct. We will head for Narda and engage Murtagh and Thorn in battle."

_Come back when and if you defeat Murtagh,_ King Saldmeer interrupted; _I have a feeling you will be ready by that time._

* * *

Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I enjoyed writing it.

Thanks for the reviews I received last chapter, please continue to review :).

I was originally expecting this chapter to be like 2,500 words in MS Word, but it ended up being close to 4,000 ;p. Got bit carried away with the werecat thing.

Hope you had a happy Valentine's Day/Chinese New Year!


	9. Luck and Misfortune

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 9: Luck and Misfortune

Eragon contented himself to watch the trees fly past below him. Their journey had taken them through the dense forest of Du Weldenvarden to avoid taking a direct route through the heart of the Empire. _Where do you think we are? _Eragon asked Saphira.

_We are somewhere around Osilon. Why? _Saphira replied.

_It would be a good idea to break camp for the day near the edge of Du Weldenvarden. Then tomorrow we can fly right over the inhabited lands and land in the Spine, _Eragon answered, having planned everything out during the mindless hours spent on Saphira's back.

Saphira snorted, _I am surprised that you actually planned ahead Eragon, how unlike you. Arya must be extending her positive influence over you._

_Well one of us has to be the brains while you travel since you are somewhat preoccupied… _Eragon retorted smirking.

_Maybe if I dropped you on your head from this height, your smug smile would be wiped off your face, _Saphira threatened.

_Arya would fall too and you would be left to fight Murtagh alone, I hope you have a good battle plan, _Eragon replied, patting her side fondly from his position in the saddle.

_Of course I do, _Saphira replied smugly; _I would drag you along in my claws and offer you to Murtagh. You might just drive them insane from your captivity. Then I swoop in and kill them while you parley with them._

_Haha, very funny. You definitely unleashed this side of me, I was not like this while I lived with Garrow, _Eragon accused.

_I can see that, if you were, you might not have lived to my hatching day, _Saphira sniffed.

Eragon rolled his eyes, _Putting aside my newfound knack for sarcasm, where do you think we will meet Murtagh?_

_We should engage them safely outside of Narda. We don't want guards to interfere on Murtagh's behalf, _Saphira advised.

_Indeed, that would be less than ideal. Which way is Murtagh arriving in Narda from? _

_From the south, _Saphira started, _He is coming from Teirm._

_Teirm? Why from there and not Urû'baen?_ Eragon asked, puzzled.

_Murtagh is touring the Empire systematically. He is visiting Teirm first, then Narda and some towns in the north last, _Saphira explained.

_I see, then we can make camp on the outskirts of the Spine in between Narda and Teirm when we get there, _Eragon mused.

_We could, _Saphira agreed, _But we should focus on the present for now; we are nearing the border of Du Weldenvarden._

* * *

"Why did we land so early?" Arya asked, "There are still several hours of sunlight left and many leagues to go."

Eragon looked up from the meager stew they had concocted from the various herbs found in Du Weldenvarden, "If we continue to fly today, we will end up setting up camp in the middle of the Empire with no forests to hide us. Since we are at the edge of Du Weldenvarden, we can make it to the Spine tomorrow."

"We are going to make camp in the Spine? I have not personally ventured into it, but humans say that it is cursed," Arya replied uneasily.

Eragon stared into the depths of the crackling fire they had made from dead tree branches; he was reminded of his childhood whenever the Spine was discussed. "Before Saphira hatched for me, I was a hunter and I tracked down animals in the Spine to sustain my family."

"People disappear in the Spine when they travel into it, don't they?" Arya continued, unsatisfied by his answers.

"Aye, most everybody avoids the Spine like the plague. I was the only villager from Carvahall to frequently venture into the Spine," Eragon explained.

"I hope you know your way around the Spine, I would not want to get lost forever," Arya said with a funny expression on her face.

"I know the Spine better than anybody in Alagaësia right now, we will be fine," Eragon assured her.

"So why do people fear the Spine? Surely it cannot be so fear-inspiring if it is not cursed," Arya asked curiously, eyes glinting.

"I would not say it is completely devoid of a curse," Eragon said with a chuckle. "Whole regiments of soldiers are lost in its depths and people seem to have extraordinarily bad luck when they enter the Spine."

Arya's curiosity was piqued; she only knew legends from the Spine. "What kind of bad luck?"

"Sloan was one of the unfortunate men with negative experiences with the Spine," Eragon started, bringing up the tale of Sloan's miserable life.

"Sloan? The man you saved from Helgrind? What happened to him?" Arya asked.

"You did not know Sloan, but he was an extremely bitter man. He was quite uncomfortable to be around and had a nasty disposition." Eragon paused. "But that was not entirely his fault, a long time ago; he had a wife name Ismira. Ismira was in the Spine one day when she fell into the Igualda Falls. He hasn't been the same since."

"Fell into the falls? I would call that clumsiness, not bad luck," Arya said dismissively.

Eragon shrugged, "It is a fairly common story in the Spine. People meet their deaths in unfortunate cases. A hunter might die of hypothermia because he did not have the sense to build a shelter when it rained. Adventurers who enter the Spine often die in remiss ways."

"So how did you escape misfortune in the Spine?" Arya asked with a small smile.

"I got lucky I suppose, let's hope that my luck doesn't run out until we leave the Spine," Eragon said with a grin.

"Saphira can always fly us out of the Spine," Arya pointed out.

"True, but we will have to spend a few nights in the Spine. It would be a shame if something devoured you in the middle of the night," Eragon said suggestively.

"Then you can keep watch all night long to insure that does not happen," Arya said turning away.

* * *

_We are so close to Carvahall, I wish we could visit it, _Eragon said regretfully.

_I know Little One, but we can't. It is too large of a detour, it would take half a day of flying to reach it, _Saphira replied.

_When do you think we will be able to go back to Carvahall? _

_We will definitely return after the war is over, _Saphira promised.

_What about the villagers? Do you think they will head back too?_ Eragon wondered.

_Perhaps, but it is far away. I am not sure if they would want to take another ship. You have heard how dreadful their journey was._

_Where would they live then? Take up residence in Surda? _

_They could, I'm sure Orrin would allow them to live there, _Saphira answered, _But you should check up on Arya, she looks distracted._

Saphira was correct; Arya was not showing any distress, but her face was unnaturally calm and composed, as if she was trying to hide something.

"Is something wrong Arya?" Eragon asked concerned.

Arya looked up surprised, "I found a camp full of dead soldiers when I was foraging for herbs earlier."

_That does not sound like the whole story, _Saphira said to Eragon, _Something else is bothering her; she was never one to flinch at dead soldiers._

Eragon mentally agreed with Saphira before carefully composing his reply. "What else was there Arya? It is not like you to be disturbed by this."

Arya grimaced at his inquiries, "The dead bodies were mutilated almost beyond recognition by animals. Some of them were missing limbs or parts of their throats were ripped out. All in all, it was quite revolting."

"Are you afraid of the beast that attacked them?" Eragon pressed.

"Afraid? No. But I am worried as to what kind of monster lurks in the Spine," Arya admitted, loathe to reveal any weaknesses.

"What did the bites look like?" Eragon asked.

"There were dozens of bites in each body. Each bite was ragged, but did not extend too far into the body. Limbs were strewn across the ground and there was a lot of dried blood," Arya explained.

Eragon laughed a little bit before he caught the glare sent his way from Arya. "That is no monster; a pack of wolves just ate the bodies. You didn't know that?"

"No I did not," Arya said crossly, "Animals in Du Weldenvarden are more docile and don't show such displays of violence."

"I have watched a pack of wolves devour a herd of deer before. When I hunted in the Spine, I was tracking a few deer for several days and when they stopped to graze one day, I was readying my bow and arrows. As I was hiding in the bushes, a pack of wolves jumped out and decimated the whole herd. Needless to say, I ran from the clearing as quickly as I could," Eragon recounted.

Arya did not seem to be enthralled by his story and was glaring daggers into Eragon and he was soon regretting telling her the story. "On a similar but slightly more _tasteful_ note, I never yelled at you for attacking the Menoa Tree _yet_," Arya said dangerously, emphasizing the last word.

Saphira chuckled at their latest argument, _I am very happy I am not in your shoes Eragon, Arya looks like she is ready to attack you._

_I was not the one who attacked the tree, so maybe I should throw you to the wolves, _Eragon said rolling his eyes.

Saphira merely huffed and continued to watch Arya with keen interest. "Don't worry, I already have dozens of elves ready to kill me for that, you _really _do not have to murder me too," Eragon said weakly, trying to escape the situation.

Arya did not seem appeased in the least. "What in Alagaësia were you thinking Eragon? Attacking the elves' most treasured landmark was hardly your most perceptive decision."

"Solembum said that when I needed a weapon, I should look under the Menoa Tree. Well, I undeniably needed a new weapon," Eragon said backpedaling.

"You did not need to physically assault the tree, there were other options available to you," Arya replied haughtily.

"Trust me, I depleted all other options. We tried talking to the tree, offering our energy to the tree and climbing the tree," Eragon said evasively. "Anyways, the Menoa Tree said she took something from me, so it is not like I got off easily."

Arya rolled her eyes, seeming to lighten slightly. "Well we know she did not take your ghastly decision-making. You are just as foolish as you were before."

Eragon's face reddened slightly, "I have always survived my haphazard decisions. My rashness has not gotten me into trouble yet."

A smirk formed on Arya's lips, "I can think of several events in which your rashness did not serve you well."

Eragon opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it. He remembered the Agaetí Blӧdhren, though that was not entirely his fault. He had been magically intoxicated and not of the right state of mind. "So am I forgiven?" Eragon asked, changing the subject.

Arya just rolled her eyes, "Yes, you are forgiven. Luckily for you, it is difficult to remain mad at you."

Saphira snorted, _She is right Little One_, _I often get angry with your reckless decisions, but it is indeed hard to remain that way, _She broadcasted to both of them.

"I suppose that is fortunate; if everybody who had gotten mad at me stayed mad; then I would have a lot of enemies," Eragon said relieved he was out of the hot water.

* * *

"When is he going to arrive?" Eragon grumbled. He was hot and uncomfortable in his dwarven armor despite sitting in the shade.

"Be patient Eragon, we have waited for days inside of the Spine for this opportunity, a few more hours will not kill you," Arya admonished.

Eragon and Arya were both wearing their armor so that they could catch Murtagh off guard quickly. Saphira however, was bare because they had left her armor back at the Varden; they had not expected she would need her cumbersome armor.

_I just hope that Thorn will not be able to see me, I do not exactly blend in with the forest, _Saphira said.

_Don't worry Saphira, I am sure that the thick canopy of the forest will block out any view Thorn will have of you, _Arya assured her.

_Or maybe they will mistake you for a pond, you are large enough to pass as one, _Eragon joked.

_Then I hope you do not drown when I plunge into the sea with you on my back, _Saphira retorted.

_It is apparent Eragon lacked any motherly influence when he was growing up, _Arya said, _He has no manners and has not learned about women whatsoever._

_Yes, it is too bad Eragon lacks any manners towards friendly women. He could have made a fine noble with any amount of manners, _Saphira snorted.

_You would love that though; then you would have all the mead you want. Free dinners for the rest of your life, imagine that! _Eragon said, playing along. The friendly banter was just a way to ease the apprehension of meeting Murtagh in battle.

_It must be terrible to be mentally connected with Eragon day and night Saphira, I can imagine the headaches you must receive, _Arya said laughing.

_It is not so bad, _Saphira said, softening up on Eragon, _He has quite a one-track mind, he only ever thinks about one thing, and he thinks about that all the time. So it is quite easy to block him out._

_And what would that be Saphira? _Arya asked, eyes twinkling.

_Enough Saphira, _Eragon said, embarrassed, _You should start getting ready; I think I can hear Thorn in the distance._

And true enough, a red dot appeared on the horizon, steadily approaching them. Eragon could not see any visible egg on Murtagh's figure, but assumed that it had to be in a pouch on Thorn.

Eragon and Arya quickly mounted Saphira, strapping their legs into the various leather strips on the saddle. Eragon drew Brisingr and held it flat against Saphira's side so that it would not impale him on some of Saphira's more complex acrobatics.

As soon as Murtagh and Thorn were nearly overhead, Saphira launched herself into the air with a mighty jump. Eragon watched as the impassive face of Murtagh quickly turned into surprise. "So, you have come to fight me brother, I wonder what you came for," Murtagh said with a malicious glint in his eyes when they were within yards of each other.

"You know what I came for Murtagh, I will not leave without the egg," Eragon replied.

"How can you hope to stand against me brother, you and your _beloved _elf," Murtagh sneered.

Eragon's grip tightened on Brisingr when Murtagh mentioned Arya. "We're not brothers Murtagh," Eragon said, trying to provoke Murtagh, "My father is Brom of Kuasta, a much nobler man than Morzan."

Murtagh's eyes opened wide at this statement, "You lie, I said in the Ancient Language that we are brothers, I cannot lie in the Ancient Language."

Eragon repeated the same thing in the desired tongue and watched with a twisted pleasure as Murtagh's face contorted into pain and anger. "Then I suppose it is fair that I took my _inheritance, _is it not?" Murtagh said as he held up Zar'roc.

Eragon would not be provoked by Murtagh as a small smile spread out on his lips. "I have my own sword Murtagh, one that is not burdened by murder and evil," He said, showing Murtagh his bright blue sword, Brisingr.

Murtagh appeared as enraged as Eragon had ever seen him; his provocations had succeeded. "Then we have nothing else to talk of Eragon, it is time I killed you once and for all," He said as Thorn glided to the ground.

Eragon watched Murtagh dismount Thorn and draw Zar'roc with confusion, why was he not fighting on Thorn? "Are you too craven to fight with Thorn? Fight on your dragon like a true Dragon Rider," Eragon shouted into the wind.

"Why? We have clashed twice and neither time has Saphira or Thorn gained the upper hand over one another. Perhaps I can save some time in my precious schedule by just killing you outright," Murtagh said with a dark gleam in his eyes.

Eragon pondered this decision quickly; _Take me to the ground Saphira, I will fight him there as he wishes._

_Careful Eragon, this could be a trap, _Arya cautioned, _This could all be a ploy to dismount you._

_Even so, I will take that risk, Murtagh is right, the aerial battles have just sapped our strength with no tangible results, _Eragon responded.

Eragon jumped off of Saphira's back as soon as she touched the ground and drew Brisingr. _Stay with Saphira, _He said to Arya, _Perhaps you can help her when she fights with Thorn._

_But I should be fighting Murtagh with you; he is not an easy opponent to defeat alone, _Arya protested.

_I have to do this alone, he is my brother and I must be the one to end his life, for my family, _Eragon said with an iron voice, he would not budge on this issue.

A long silence passed between them as Arya grappled with his wishes. _Very well, I will accompany Saphira, but if anything happens, I will come to your aid._

_Thank you Arya svit-kona, that is all I ask for,_ Eragon said gratefully.

His mind was brought back to reality as Murtagh chuckled. "Are you done stalling Eragon? Come fight me!"

Eragon snarled in response and leapt forward with Brisingr in hand. Blood red met an iridescent blue as Brisingr and Zar'roc clashed in between Eragon and Murtagh. Eragon could vaguely sense that Saphira and Thorn had flown at each other as soon as the duel commenced and the terrible wails that resulted from talons and scales meeting.

Eragon and Murtagh traded blows evenly, neither gaining an advantage. Whatever ground Eragon lost to Murtagh was soon recovered by an offensive rally and vice versa. Their swords were a blur, moving so fast that not even Eragon knew precisely where they were.

Eragon sensed a swipe aimed at his head and he managed to raise his sword in time to defend himself, the clangor of the swords engaging so close to his ear caused his whole head to ring. Shaking off the feeling, he renewed his offensive; slashing at Murtagh's legs and stabbing at his chest. Wherever he swung Brisingr, Murtagh always parried with Zar'roc, never skipping a beat.

During a lull in their furious dance, Eragon felt a sharp pain rip through his arm. He winced as he heard Saphira roar in agony as Thorn bit hard into her wing. Large droplets of blood rained down on Eragon and Murtagh until Arya managed to seal the wound with magic.

"Saphira does not seem to be faring well, does she brother?" Murtagh said with a wicked smirk. _He truly has been morphed by Galbatorix, he is becoming his father, _Eragon thought with pity.

Eragon tasted warm blood trickling into his mouth, Murtagh had managed to deliver a scratch on his cheek and it had created a trail of blood between Eragon's lips. Eragon had received the cut when his mind had wandered from the battle for a split-second. The pair were so evenly matched and their techniques so similar that anticipation dominated the battle. Both Eragon and Murtagh anticipated rather than watched for each other's attacks and only required a part of their total concentration.

"Enough of this foolishness," Murtagh gasped after hours of the vacillating duel. "Letta!" He barked binding Eragon's hands and feet in place.

Eragon felt the air around his body tighten and he became motionless, not bothering to struggle futilely against the magical bonds. "Concede brother and I shall end your life quickly, you don't have the elves aiding you now," Murtagh said with a dark smile. When he saw the look on Eragon's face, he continued his gloating, "Yes, I know about your little trick with the elven spell casters. Galbatorix has spies everywhere, including inside your Varden, he found out that you had to rely on help to defeat me. You are considerably more helpless alone, are you not?"

"All Eragon could do was to glare back, "Apparently I am not the only one who depends on others; you _force _the Eldunarí to serve you," He spat.

Murtagh's eyes tightened around the sockets and his jaw clenched, "So you have discovered the source of my power, no matter, you will soon be dead."

"What, Galbatorix does not want to capture Saphira this time?" Eragon asked warily.

"He has decided it is not worth the risk; all the attempted escapes and sleepless nights with her roaring within the confines of the castle. Nay, he has ordered me to kill you and Saphira on sight," Murtagh said leering.

Eragon only gritted his teeth in response and uttered a counter spell to free him of the magical bonds. He could feel energy flowing freely out of him as Murtagh increased the amount of energy in the spell.

"You cannot hope to match me without your precious elves, it would be a waste to even try," Murtagh snarled, his face taught with concentration.

Eragon felt enervated, his limbs crying out for energy. They drooped from their positions as Eragon's eyelids began to shut slowly. _Eragon! Wake up, use Aren, _Saphira shouted to him through their mental connection.

Eragon's head snapped back up as Saphira yelled to him. Aren! He had forgotten again, was he never going to learn his lesson? He extended his mind toward the ring, inside he saw blinding rivers of energy. The Shade's statement had been painfully accurate; the ring was full of light.

Eragon began fueling his body with the mass amounts of energy stored inside the ring and his body seemed to float with the increased energy. His limbs seemingly picked themselves up of their own accord and his muddled mind was emancipated.

Minutes ticked by slowly as Murtagh kept supplying himself with additional energy from the Eldunarí. But Eragon was fully confident he would outlast Murtagh, what were a few dragons' energy compared to a century of dedicated donations?

Eragon was not to be denied and slowly but surely, Murtagh's grip on Eragon slipped until it was metaphorically a strand of hair holding him in place. Shock registered on Murtagh's face as he came to the realization that he was losing this fight.

Eragon's feet finally fell to the ground as Murtagh conceded and staggered on his feet, completely devoid of energy. Eragon almost pitied Murtagh for a fraction of a second before his common sense overruled those emotions. Eragon stretched all his joints, relishing the cracks of his bones after being held in place for so long.

He picked up Brisingr from where it had fallen in the soft bed of grass below them and slowly, but determinedly strode towards Murtagh. Eragon could see a mixture of so many emotions fight for a place in Murtagh's eyes; fear, anxiety, impassiveness, amusement and finally, defeat.

"So this is it _brother," _Murtagh said, spitting out the last word, "You will kill me and forget that you ever held evil as family."

"It did not have to be so, but you left me no choice. I am sorry fate has led to this Murtagh," Eragon replied evenly.

"Hah, and you won't even call my brother to my face," Murtagh said, disgust enveloping every line on his face.

"You were never my brother, Roran is more my brother than you," Eragon retorted.

"You were lucky that mother decided to drop you off in Carvahall," Murtagh continued, ignoring Eragon, "Or you might have ended up like me. And we couldn't have that, could we?"

"I am sorry that your life was one test after another, but you made certain decisions and they have construed into this moment. I will end your life quickly, may you find peace in your next life," Eragon said, eyes glazing over with tears that had not fell.

Eragon was vaguely aware that as he raised Brisingr to impale Murtagh through his breast, Thorn had changed his focus from Saphira to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he made note of Thorn barreling down on him, desperation filling his roars as he tried to reach his Rider.

Eragon paid no attention however and cleanly raised his sword and in one fluid moment, planted Brisingr into Murtagh, his one time friend, one time brother and one time enemy.

As Murtagh fell to the ground, Eragon could see that his eyes had closed, peacefully almost and his lips had tilted upwards in a small smile. To Eragon, it appeared as if the world had suddenly slowed down for he could see Murtagh drop slowly to his knees before falling over on his side, his life's blood spilling into the cold, hard ground.

Eragon dimly heard the thunderous roar that Thorn emitted when Murtagh fell, his partner of his heart and soul. A tremor that could be mistaken for an earthquake resonated in the ground as Thorn dropped unceremoniously from the air. Eragon had barely managed to drop to the ground and cover his head with his hands before Thorn's body reached the ground, causing rubble to jettison outwards.

Eragon could feel pebbles raining down on his prone body as debris rocketed from the epicenter of the crash site. _Even the earth is crying its protest; Murtagh has died before his time, _Eragon thought.

With one last keen, Thorn managed to croak out a feeble sound, his mourning for Murtagh, before he passed into the void.

Eragon heard shouts coming from a distance far away, but he paid them no heed, he just lay on the ground and allowed the dirt to absorb his misery and sorrow. A soft, but firm hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him upright. "Eragon are you alright?" A voice said before Eragon recognized it to be Arya's.

He mumbled some reassurances before he picked his way through the carnage and ruin to Murtagh's body. Thorn's body was a bloody mess of cuts, bruises and torn limbs from his disastrous fall and was nearly unrecognizable.

Murtagh on the other hand, seemed to be barely affected, the barrage of rocks had miraculously skirted over his body and left it nearly untouched. His face had maintained its peaceful demeanor that it had acquired during his death. His eyes were slightly uplifted and his mouth curved into a smile. Perhaps death was kinder than life to Murtagh Morzansson.

* * *

Author's Note:

I was not sure if I was going to put Murtagh into this chapter or the next one, so I chose the former, obviously ;p. I know a lot of people were asking me to spare Murtagh and I was seriously considering it, but my evil instincts took over instead ;p.

I'll try to get the next chapter up by like Saturday or something, but no promises.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, please Review, can never have enough :).


	10. Intertwined Destines

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 10: Intertwined Destinies

"_Hah, and you won't even call me brother to my face," Murtagh said, his words resonating deep in Eragon's mind._

"_I even spared you on the Burning Plains, and for what? For you to denounce our blood ties," Murtagh snarled again, drawing Zar'roc._

_Eragon's hand moved to belt, intending to draw his own sword. His hand grasped thin air and Murtagh just laughed at his plight. "What sort of trickery is this? I killed you."_

_Murtagh walked a path around a large oak tree, his hand scraping the bark off of the trunk. "You did no such thing, you will never be rid of me brother, we are two people born of one fate."_

_Eragon clutched his forehead with a hand, trying to calm his whirling mind. The words of Blagden in Ellesméra reverberated throughout his head. Although the words were meant for his father, they aptly fit for Murtagh as well. "I did rid myself of you, I watched you float away in the sea," Eragon insisted._

"_Delude yourself all you want, but I am standing here in front of you, sword in hand. What will you do brother?" Murtagh said with a mocking smile._

"_Jierda!" Eragon exclaimed, holding up his palm with the gedwëy ignasia engraved on it. His palm did not glow as usual and Murtagh did not collapse in pain._

_Murtagh smirked at Eragon's obvious frustration and confusion. "As I said before, what will you do brother? You have neither a sword nor magic while I have a Zar'roc," He twirled his sword in a circle, "Now you are at my mercy as I was at yours. Maybe I will not be as gentle as you were."_

_Eragon took a step back out of pure instinct. He watched Murtagh casually circle him, keeping ample space between them. "You are not real. I stabbed you through the heart," Eragon said again, his voice gaining volume._

_Murtagh lifted up his tunic and pointed to his chest grinning, "I do not see any wound here Eragon, do you?"_

"_Trickery of course, nobody in their right mind would walk around with their heart cleaved in two," Eragon persisted._

"_Perhaps not, but I am not entirely sane, am I?" Murtagh shot back, with a deranged look on his face._

"_No, you're not. But neither am I, for I am seeing an illusion," Eragon retorted._

"_Illusion you say? We will see how imaginary this feels." Murtagh said as he closed the distance between them in a single bound, stabbing Eragon through the heart. "An eye for an eye, or should I say a heart for a heart?"_

_Eragon could only scream out in pain as the blade plunged through his body, sending wave after wave of pain to scourge his body…_

Eragon awoke with a start, cold sweat dripping down his face and his hands trembling. He could feel his heart beating three times too fast and his skin felt clammy. Peeling back his tunic gingerly, he checked that he had not been stabbed through the heart and relief swept his being when he found no marks.

"Eragon! Are you alright?" Arya asked, scrambling across the camp to check on Eragon.

Eragon looked at his surroundings; trees, trees and more trees. He reverted his attention back to Arya, "I am fine, it was nothing."

_That is a lie and everybody knows it Eragon. You woke with a shout and you look like a caged lion, _Saphira said worriedly.

"Yes Eragon, you are obviously under duress. Tell us what happened so that we can help you," Arya said, agreeing with Saphira.

Eragon grimaced but did not argue with them. "I dreamt of Murtagh again. That is all," Eragon said simply.

"That does not explain why you are drenched in sweat or why you woke with a shout," Arya persisted, moving over to sit in front of Eragon cross-legged.

Eragon sighed; life was easier when Arya did not press him for information. "I just killed my brother, what do you expect?" Eragon said, his tone harsher than expected.

"You said yourself that Murtagh was not your brother," Arya said.

_Yes Little One, Roran is more your brother than Murtagh, _Saphira added.

"I may not consider Murtagh my brother, but we are still bonded by blood and I killed him, my own kin. He was lay at my feet, utterly powerless and I killed him in cold blood," Eragon said, clenching his fists tightly.

Arya drew closer to Eragon, trying to convey as much consolation as was possible through eye contact. "Do not needlessly blame yourself Eragon, there was nothing else you could have done."

"I could have let him go or I could have captured him. But I killed my brother without hesitation," Eragon said, fighting to suppress his tears.

"His mind was twisted and warped beyond recognition, you have done him a service by freeing him of his mortal vessel," Arya said.

"I am becoming like the people I fight against. A kin slayer and friend murderer. I fear for my sanity," Eragon said with a painful twist of the face.

_No you are not Eragon; do not even think like that. Murtagh knew full well that this duel was to the death, it is of no fault of your own, _Saphira argued, pouring compassion through their mental link.

"Saphira is right Eragon; I have said this before and I will say this again, you are a good man, don't let Murtagh's death affect you," Arya agreed. She reached out to place one of Eragon's trembling hands in her own, giving it a quick squeeze.

Eragon did not seem to notice the contact and stared blankly into the darkness. "My family is slowly being exterminated. First Garrow died, then Brom, then Oromis and now Murtagh. My only surviving family is Roran and Katrina, and they are fighting in the war; who knows how long they will survive."

"You have your friends and Saphira, you will never be alone Eragon," Arya said, her hand tightening its grip on Eragon's.

_Yes Eragon, you still have us, I for one will never leave you willing, and I doubt any of your friends would either, _Saphira said warmly.

Eragon laughed bitterly at the comparison. "I am an extension of Saphira as she is an extension of me, if she dies, I will die too. It is not the same as family."

"You still have your friends, and friends are as thick as family," Arya said, her hand moving up to Eragon's upper arm to shake him softly.

Eragon felt this touch and blood rushed to meet her touch. "And I have to worry about my friends constantly, every single one of them are participating in the war. They could die at any moment."

"You do not need to worry for us, all of us are capable fighters, we can take care of ourselves," Arya assured him.

"Even so, I could not bear it if anybody was injured or worse," Eragon replied.

"That is precisely why you are a good person Eragon; you worry about people's wellbeing. That is why you are not Murtagh or Galbatorix and never will be," Arya said confidently.

"And how can you be sure that I won't change in the future for the worse?" said morosely, uncertainty weighing heavily in his mind.

It was Arya's turn to be put into an exceedingly uncomfortable situation. She hesitated for a fraction of a second before her emerald eyes met his, "I know it because…I know the person who I fell in love with…"

Eragon felt a tug on his arm as Arya pulled him forward to capture his lips with hers for the briefest of moments. As short as the moment was, Eragon closed his eyes to fully enjoy the feelings that Arya had elicited with her simple touches.

When they broke apart, Eragon opened his eyes to see Arya watching him with a peculiar expression. Eragon felt another wave of heat take over his body and he suddenly felt very self-conscious.

Eragon bit his lip, a question popping up in his mind, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to voice it. Upon seeing Arya's encouraging smile Eragon asked, "Was this a mistake? What you said at the Agaetí Blӧdhren…"

Eragon stopped talking when Arya laid a slender digit on Eragon's lips, silencing him. "The reasons I gave you at the Agaetí Blӧdhren no longer hold water."

Eragon's head was throbbing from trying to make sense of her vague hints. "I do not understand. I am still a child in the eyes of the elves, I am still a Dragon Rider and you a princess and I still do not have the experience or knowledge that you possess."

"You may be lacking in years, but you have seen more than most grown men. And when you learn about yourself and the world, I want to be there alongside you. As for our positions, when has love distinguished between princesses and Dragon Riders," Arya said with a smile.

"What about our different races? I am human while you are an elf."

"You are not so much human while I am not so much elf any longer. You were changed while I spent decades with humans as company. She explained.

Eragon did not need much convincing and was unable to suppress a grin as he leaned in again to place chaste kisses on Arya's inviting lips. Their breaths mingled and quickened in unison as their limbs entangled with one another. Eragon soon found himself on his back laying on a bed of plush blades of grass with Arya lying on top. His fingers combed through Arya's hair as they exchanged quick kisses and feathery touches.

"I am yours until you fall for another woman," Arya murmured in between kisses, her hands still tangled in Eragon's hair.

Eragon stared at her incredulously, "Fall for another woman? I am completely and inexplicably in love with you and you alone."

Arya raised herself slightly from their embrace to look at him seriously, "The day may come when you do fall in love for another. You are still young and have not explored the world yet, never exclude the possibility."

Eragon snorted at this preposterous proposition, "I can assure you with certainty that I could never leave you. After all, I kept pining after you even after you rejected me."

"I hope so, but let us not dwell on those thoughts. Let us cherish the time we have in the present and rejoice for the time we have in the future," Arya said as she pressed her lips against his passionately. The couple never saw the sun pierce through the shadowy darkness; their eyes reserved only for each other.

* * *

_You seem to have ah, enjoyed your night Little One, _Saphira said smugly.

Eragon smiled, _You said that you considered Arya as part of our little family._

_I do, _Saphira said innocently, _But by the time we reach the Hadarac Desert, you two might have created a new family at the rate you're going._

_You know it is not like that, _Eragon said blushing profusely, _It never went that far and I doubt it will for a long time. I won't inquire about it until she is ready._

_I know, I am just teasing you; it is easier than ever now. You turn red like a tomato whenever Arya and you are brought up in the same sentence, _Saphira said humorously.

_Be nice, _Eragon chided, _Focus on where you are flying, I don't want to end up floating on a piece of driftwood near Beirland. _

Eragon terminated their mental contact and focused instead on the soft head that leaned back almost imperceptibly on his chest. The dark locks were splayed across his tunic and Arya seemed more relaxed than she had in the last few months. _What happened after I killed Murtagh? I am afraid I that I do not remember much as I was just going through the motions of living, _He asked Arya through his mind to avoid talking over the howl of the wind.

She tilted her head slightly to look Eragon in the eyes, surprised. _You did not want to give Murtagh a Rider's burial because he was not a true Rider, so you sent him and Thorn into the ocean along with Zar'roc. _

_And the green egg? _Eragon asked. He was berating himself for not making the egg his first priority.

_Don't worry, we have it, _Arya assured him, pointing to a small cloth bag attached to the saddlebags.

Curious, Eragon reached for the pouch and grasped it in both hands, feeling the outlines of the egg through the thin material. _Where did you find it? _Eragon asked again, trying to fill in all the details he subconsciously missed.

_It was in one of the saddlebags on Thorn. We recovered it before we sent them into the waves, _Arya said, eyeing the pouch warily incase it should drop.

Eragon drew the drawstrings of the pouch and revealed the egg. It was a beautiful thing, a shell of an emerald green with black veins that encased the egg. Running his hands over the egg it was smooth beyond fault and hard as diamonds. If he concentrated on the egg hard enough, he could almost make out a faint pulse. _It is magnificent, _Eragon said.

_Indeed, the color rivals Saphira's hue, _Arya said, complimenting Saphira's sky blue scales.

Saphira hummed with pleasure, _If only everybody had as keen an eye as you._

_The two women in my life are in collusion with each other; that does not bode well for me, _Eragon said with a mock grimace.

_Yes, so you better not annoy us Eragon, _Arya said with a quick grin, _Or we can exact our revenge upon you._

Eragon was pleasantly surprised on how well Arya and Saphira had connected with each other. The last thing he needed was inter-family arguments. _I am quaking in my boots, I can only imagine the horrors you might subjugate me to, _Eragon replied with a smile of his own.

_I would not do anything 'overly' gruesome to you, nothing permanent of course, _Arya said chuckling.

_Arya can speak for herself. I on the other hand am in favor of dangling you from my claws while I fly over the Varden, _Saphira said bemused.

_I cannot wait until you meet your mate Saphira, _Eragon said cheekily, _I am in need of some male bonding and plotting._

_You wouldn't dare, _Saphira huffed.

* * *

Sand gave way under his feet as Eragon trudged through the Hadarac Desert once again. Eragon missed the serene forests of Du Weldenvarden already. The Hadarac Desert offered no protection from the undiscriminating sun rays; although it was considerably warmer than the frosty ocean-hugging land to the west.

Several hard days of traveling had brought the group back to the Hadarac Desert without interruption. Eragon had wanted to contact Nasuada about the recent developments or stop by Gil'ead for supplies, but was discouraged by Arya.

_If we visited Gil'ead or contacted Nasuada, what do you think would happen? The egg would force us to return and find a Rider and who knows when you can search for the Vault of Souls again. No, we will inform them after your original quest is completed, it is safer that way, _Arya had said firmly, her words from several days ago ringing in his head.

She did have a point he conceded, He would not be able to search for the Vault of Souls for nigh half a year provided they could even find a suitable Rider. He would be forced to stay with them constantly, tutoring them in the ways of the Dragon Riders.

Cool fingers slipped inside of Eragon's hand as they walked towards the werecat clan. Eragon interlocked his fingers with Arya's and her hand fit perfectly with his own. He marveled at how naturally their link felt and how easily it came.

King Saldmeer, king of the werecats approached the group in person this time, not bothering to use a messenger. _Welcome back Shadeslayer and… Shadeslayer_, He greeted, staring pointedly at their interlocked hands.

_King Saldmeer, _Eragon replied, dipping his head in greeting, _We have returned with the egg._

_I know, I am not blind to the events ongoing in Alagaësia. I must admit, I did not believe you could pull it off, _King Saldmeer said knowledgeably

_How could you know that we were successful in our endeavor? _Arya asked suspiciously.

The werecat started to lead them away from the outskirts of the encampment and back to the sea of tree stumps. _I have learned how to utilize my good sense over the centuries, _King Saldmeer said sagaciously. _If you had not returned, you would presumably be dead and you have no reason to return without the egg. I can see your blossoming relationship, so something must have triggered the romance. Not to mention…I can see the lone pouch on Saphira that is holding the egg._

_Keen observations, but why did you tell us to return to you? _Eragon asked.

_Patience Rider, you should learn to think and observe instead of rushing in blindly. Half of the problems in the world are started from the lack of patience, _King Saldmeer scolded.

_Then what do you propose we do? Sit and talk about how stimulating tree stumps are? _Eragon said annoyed. He sat cross-legged on one of the aforementioned stumps while the werecat stretched lazily on a different one.

_We could, but I don't think you would appreciate the lengthy conversation that would ensue. The comfort of tree stumps can be discussed for days, _the werecat said.

_I am sure, _Eragon said insolently, rolling his eyes, _But more importantly, how did you know where Murtagh would be? Or the whereabouts of the egg?_

King Saldmeer gave him a chilling grin, _We werecats are magical creatures, it would be foolish for me to divulge all of our secrets. But know this, I have scouts in every level of society, I know every move of your Varden and the Empire alike. _

This revelation was disconcerting; an independent race knew the plans of the Varden could easily decimate them. _Why do you gather information if you do not use it against either side?_

_I helped you did I not? _The werecat pointed out.

_What if I never came? I doubt you get many visitors, _Eragon rebuked.

_Very true, you are the first visitors we have entertained since well... your namesake eons ago, _King Saldmeer admitted.

Eragon heard a sharp intake of breath and then, _Since Eragon the First? But that was thousands of years ago_, Arya said.

_Indeed it was, we have had perhaps, a dozen foreigners visit us in the entire history of Alagaësia, _The king of werecats stated.

_How could only a dozen adventurers have discovered you? Surely more people travel through the Hadarac Desert than that, _Saphira interjected, equally as puzzled as Eragon and Arya.

_You of all creatures, Saphira, should know that mystical creatures hide their secrets well. We have done the same, we maintain our mirage and none stumble across us unless we will it, _King Saldmeer replied, eyes glinting.

_What makes us so fortunate to have met you then? _Arya questioned, echoing the sentiments that Eragon and Saphira had been harboring.

_As I said last time we met young elf, your wyrdas happen to include us, so we admitted you into our sacred home, _King Saldmeer replied simply, patiently answering their endless questions.

_What in our wyrdas were so interesting? _Eragon asked, getting impatient with all of the subterfuge.

_Ah, finally a direct question. Time for a small history lesson I think, _King Saldmeer started. _Have either of you ever heard of Malthinae Wyrdas or linked destinies?_

_Fate forces people's futures to be linked. The phrase 'linked fate' is redundant, _Arya objected.

_A simple 'no' would have sufficed. However, because it is quite fun to prove elves wrong, I am going to say that fate and linked fates are not the same for argument's sake, _King Saldmeer said smirking.

_Then explain how they differ, they are the same by definition and interpretation, _Arya said.

_As you are aware I am sure Eragon, a few fortunate individuals are blessed with an unchained fate. They are able to choose whichever path they want, _The werecat said, causing Eragon to stare at him in shock, how had he known about his fortune-telling? _Wyrda is for people who have no say in their future. However, Malthinae Wyrdas is for two people who are unburdened by shackles._

_Why would Eragon know anything about this? _Arya said, apparently oblivious to Eragon's shock.

_Hah, he never told you? Eragon has a most interesting the future; but the ability to choose his own wyrda is the most unusual. Eragon is part of a Malthinae Wyrda, _The werecat revealed.

_So what exactly is this Malthinae Wyrda? _Eragon asked, trying to make something out of the plethora of information.

_A Malthinae Wyrda is when somebody who is free to choose their own fate has somebody who is inexplicably entangled in his destiny. While they are both unburdened by chains, their paths all intertwine with each other; though their relationship is entirely up to them, _King Saldmeer explained.

_How common are people with these fates? _Arya asked.

The werecat stared at them in an unsettling way, _Oh they are exceedingly rare. That does not even do the rarity of the situation justice. There has been five total pairings in the entire history of Alagaësia. The latest was Eragon the First._

_So you allowed us to find the werecats because Eragon has a Malthinae Wyrda? Did everybody with a Malthinae Wyrda visit you too? _Arya asked, her forehead wrinkled in concentration.

_Of course, we have always aided those involved in a Malthinae Wyrda, _The werecat said smugly.

_Does that mean I am Eragon's pairing? A dragon and her rider are always a part of each other, _Saphira asked.

_No, while your fates are already inexorably connected, Eragon has another who is also a part of him, _King Saldmeer said, looking pleased when he saw their confusion. _Arya, did you ever wonder why you did not know your…true name?_

Arya let a low hissing noise escape from the back of her throat. _How did you know that?_

The werecat remained calm despite Arya's seething exterior, _Why, I know many things, but more seriously, you are Eragon's pairing in his Malthinae Wyrda. You too have a free wyrda and are able to choose your own destiny._

Eragon let out a small gasp, _What? How can she be my pair?_

_Both of you are just so skeptical of the truth, follow me, _King Saldmeer lifted himself off of his tree stump and took the winding path that lead to the Mirror of Truth.

_When you last visited the mirror, you were expelled from its presence, _King Saldmeer reminded Eragon, _However, I think you are ready to face it again._

Eragon walked in front of the mirror again and waited for something, anything to happen. Nothing did and he ended up staring at his reflection for several minutes. _Nothing is happening, _Said a frustrated Eragon.

_Of course nothing is happening, Arya, go stand next to him, _The werecat ordered.

Arya sent the werecat a hostile glare, but acquiesced to his orders. As she stepped next to Eragon and looked into the depths of the mirror, a surge of energy rippled through the plane of glass. A multicolored web of light diffused across the glass and a single phrase appeared in the center, Du Brisingr eu Hesterni un Duistarli, _The Fires of Hope and Determination. _

_Quite boring names if you ask me, _King Saldmeer snorted, _But there you are, your shared true names._

_Shared true names? I have never heard of such a thing before, _Arya said, beyond confused.

_Of course you wouldn't, only people with Malthinae Wyrda's have them, and since there have only been five in history… _The werecat said in a tone that implied it was an obvious answer.

_I am confused, how are we supposed to distinguish ourselves from one another while speaking in the Ancient Language? _Eragon asked.

_I suppose I should explain everything to you now, _The king sighed, _people with linked fates cannot survive without each other, in one way or another. For example, if Saphira were to die, you would almost certainly follow her. The same is the same with linked fates. It is quite ironic really, Saphira makes it a fate shared by three people; for is she dies, then Eragon dies causing Arya to die and vice versa._

_Are there any benefits to this besides dying prematurely? _Arya asked sarcastically.

_Well your case, enduring true love, but enemies can have linked fates too. It is a good thing you two were not enemies or you would be fighting each other for the rest of your lives. Though I am sure you will be happy to know that neither of you will ever leave each other for another man or woman, _King Saldmeer explained.

Eragon had not been overly surprised at this information, Angela's description of an 'epic romance' envisioned the relationship to last forever. _How come the mirror did not tell us this before we found the green egg?_

_You and Arya were not together yet; she is a major part of your life and you were not complete without her. Although since you are free to choose your own paths, if you were mortal enemies, it would also satisfy the requirements, _King Saldmeer explained.

Everybody grew silent, reflecting on what King Saldmeer had said. _Is the Vault of Souls on Vroengard? _Eragon finally asked, changing the subject.

_Yes it is, as for its exact location, even I do not know that, _The werecat said.

_How do you not know? You said you knew near everything, _Arya asked, still incensed at his earlier revelations.

King Saldmeer looked affronted at Arya's accusation and assumed a haughty tone when he said, _This may be one of those very rare snatches of information that I do not have access to._

_Will we see you again after this? _Eragon asked in case there was something else that King Saldmeer could do for him.

_Perhaps, wyrda is not a certain thing. But this is all I can help you with right now,_ King Saldmeer stood up and started to wander away. He turned around to give them a final farewell, _I wish you luck on your journey Du Brisingr eu Hesterni un Duistarli._

* * *

Author's Notes:

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I wasn't sure where I was going to cut off the chapter, so I just went all the way to the werecats.

I managed to finish this chapter a day early, thank the snowstorms for that ;p.

If you guys manage to get 10 individual reviews up, I will post the next chapter that same day or the next day depending on how fast it is, if not, next chapter will be up next Friday. Nothing like a bit of incentives to review :).

Until next time...


	11. Names of Power

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 11: Names of Power

Arya's mind was a turbulent place, full of conflicting thoughts and emotions. She was calm, the serenity of the open sea a soothing presence. She was anxious, the impending judgment of her people awaited Eragon and herself. She was happy, the arms of Eragon wrapped around her like a warm, protective seal. She was angry, the secrets that King Saldmeer had revealed should not have been heard by others.

She was a dormant volcano that was ready to burst at the seams and she knew it. A multitude of thoughts swirled around in her usually clear and composed mind, all fighting for dominance. Arya knew that Eragon sensed this, she knew that he left her alone so she could organize her thoughts on her own, and for that she was grateful. They had scarcely spoken since the meeting with the king of the werecats, each left to organize the chaos that King Saldmeer had imposed on them. And here they were, days later, flying over the ocean to reach Dorú Areaba, without having said more than a couple of sentences to each other.

Arya supposed that the silence might have been her fault; Eragon would have been perfectly content to discuss everything that had occurred. Arya however, preferred to dissect and then categorize information in her head, alone, using the skills she had honed over the years as a diplomat.

But now that she had accepted Eragon's advances, would she have to change her isolated way of life and confide her secrets and fears into Eragon? Most likely she admitted, he was the most trustworthy man in Alagaësia in her opinion; he tried his hardest to maintain all of his promises.

Was she wrong in accepting Eragon as her mate? Duty told her yes but her heart was telling herself something entirely different. She shook her head, trying to expel this train of thought; she had already debated long and hard over this, every night. She came to the same conclusion every night as well; Eragon could not be more distracted by love than he was by rejected love. Not to mention rejecting him now after she already accepted him would without a doubt completely derail him from his task of overthrowing Galbatorix.

Arya's headshake seemed to draw Eragon out of his reverie, _What's wrong? _He asked concerned.

_It is nothing, _She assured him, _I was just thinking._

Eragon did not reply, this type of response had become common-place over the past week. Arya felt guilt ensnare her, it was not fair to Eragon to keep him away, it was not his fault. Arya cursed herself, when had she become so weak when faced with Eragon? _Eragon, we should talk, _Arya finally said reluctantly.

_Yes? _He asked cautiously, _What do you want to talk about?_

_Us, _Arya could feel Eragon gulp nervously, _How do you feel about the Malthinae Wyrda information?_

Arya could feel Eragon tense, searching for a trap within her question. Was he still scared of her reactions? _I am surprised and also happy._

_Happy? _Arya asked, she had expected surprised, but not happiness. _Why are you happy?_

_I am happy because I never want to be separated from you, _Eragon said, gaining confidence with every word, _And I am glad fate sees it the same way._

Arya was surprised to say the least, and unexpectedly, she felt elated that she had found somebody wonderfully caring who could balance out her extreme independence. _You are not irked that we share the same true name?_

_Why would I be? I would have told you my true name whether we shared the same one or not, _Eragon said, sounding genuinely puzzled. _But, _He continued, hesitating before he finished his statement, _I am saddened by the fact that you never confided in me you did not know your true name as well._

_Should I have? We just became a pair, when should I have told you? _Arya asked, frustrated.

The silence was palpable as Eragon mulled over Arya's words. _I am sorry Arya svit-kona, I did not mean to be presumptuous._

Arya bit her lip as she felt the guilt rise again. It had become far too easy for Eragon to cause her guilt, something that should be remedied she decided. _Formal honorifics are not necessary Eragon, _She sighed, caving in to her guilt, _I did not mean to be so harsh. Sometimes I forget."_

Arya could feel Eragon grin like a child when she forgave him. _What do you forget? _Eragon asked.

_Sometimes I forget what it is like to love, _Arya said softy.

She could feel Eragon's arms tighten around her. _Then learn with me, for I have no experience with love either, _Eragon said smiling wryly.

Arya felt light like a feather, not just because of the fact that she was high above sea-level, but because Eragon's words could affect her like nobody else's. It was a feeling that was long buried when Fäolin died, but even that could not compare to this. _I am sorry I was distant and snappish for the past few days, thank you for being so understanding, _Arya said sincerely.

_Of course, but no more secrets between us? _Eragon asked innocently, resting his head on her shoulder.

Arya turned her head until their cheeks were touching, _No more secrets, _She agreed, turning over a new leaf in her life.

* * *

Arya shivered, the moment that Saphira had landed in Dorú Areaba, Arya had felt uneasy. Despite the lack of Dragon Riders on Dorú Areaba, the atmosphere of the deserted city was unsettling to say the least. Arya could feel eyes on their backs; gypsies and looters had inhabited the island soon after the Rider's fell.

Nobody had attacked them yet, but that was most likely due to the presence of Saphira, nobody in their right minds would attack a Dragon and her Rider, that would be suicide. But she could feel them waiting, waiting for a lapse in their focus so that they could swoop in and strike. "Do you sense them?" Arya asked in a low voice.

"Aye, as soon as we go to sleep they will attack," Eragon replied, his answer not alleviating any of Arya's unease.

"I hate to suggest this because I know you will be extremely adverse to my idea, but we should make an example out of one of them to insure the others stay away," Arya said, scrutinizing Eragon's face intently.

"What do you propose we do?" Eragon asked warily, judging by his reaction, she guessed he did not like her idea.

Arya rubbed her chin for a second, "We brutally kill one of them as a message to the rest. If we show them that we are dangerous enough, they will stay away."

"But they are innocent men and women, that would just be killing in cold blood," Eragon protested quietly, eyes darkening.

Arya sighed, "They are hardly innocent, many of them are murderers and will not hesitate to duplicate the feat if given the chance."

Eragon saw the logic in her argument and she watched him rub a hand over his eyes. "How would you propose we find one of them then? We can't see them and they undoubtedly will not let us near them."

Arya smiled grimly, "Then I say it is high time we took a little rest."

* * *

They had settled in a small abandoned house in the center of Dorú Areaba. The house, like the rest of the city was in shambles and all of the valuables were looted. Arya could see that the houses had been resplendent when they were still intact. The walls had intricate designs on them where they were not leveled and the rooms were spacious.

Saphira had remained outside, standing guard over the backdoor to limit intruders to one doorway. Arya and Eragon had occupied a corner of the house, swords drawn, anticipating an attack. "Are you sure this will work?" Eragon whispered.

"No," Arya replied, biting her lip, "But I would rather be attacked when I am aware than when I am sleeping."

Arya did not have to wait long for her plan to kick into action. She heard soft footsteps elsewhere in the house, searching for them. Motioning to Eragon, they stood up silently, waiting for the intruder to show himself. Arya's hand tightened on her sword as she heard the footsteps approach their hiding spot.

A haggard looking man burst through the door. He was balding on the top of his head and his clothes were mere rags in disarray. He held a rusting knife in one hand and his other hand was free, the classic cutthroat.

The rogue wore an expression of pure surprise, he had not been expecting them to be awake or aware of his intrusion. The surprise was quickly replaced by a cold, hard determination and the cutthroat charged at them, dagger raised.

The skirmish was a quick one and Arya immediately knocked the knife out of his hand in one fluid motion. Then she knocked him hard in the stomach with the flat of her blade. "Not much of a fight," Eragon commented wryly, never even getting the chance to raise his sword.

"Carry him outside and make an example out of him," She told Eragon, hoping that he would not spend the nights awake thinking of his deed.

He nodded and proceeded to twist the man's arms behind him and marched him out of the house, through the front door. Arya followed them and Saphira flew to Eragon so that they could continue traveling immediately.

When they were in a large clearing in the center of the city, Arya could hear Eragon whisper in the man's ear,"I'm sorry." The next thing Arya knew, Eragon had picked up a fairly large chunk of dirt and muttered a spell under his breath. The chunk of dirt had turned cherry red and the cutthroat's eyes nearly popped out of his sockets at the sight. Eragon wore a pained expression on his face as he thrust the white-hot dirt into the cutthroat's chest.

Arya had to force herself not to close her ears when the unfortunate man started to scream and wail, making an unseemly racket. She had orchestrated this scheme and she would see it through all the way to the end. The man screamed for several minutes, spitting out blood all the while. Fortunately for the unfortunate man, Eragon had been merciful in the killing and had inserted the dirt into the man's heart so he died as quickly as possible while creating a scene. The screaming abated after awhile, though Arya could still hear him in his death throes in her mind.

* * *

True to her assumption, no other rogues or cutthroats had dared attack the group. Arya could not even feel their eyes on her back anymore, they had been scared off and she doubted they would return. They eventually arrived at the doors of the grand castle of the Dragon Riders of old which was the direct center of the city.

The castle looked untouched by time on the outside, banners still hanging over the walls and not a stone was displaced, most likely through the use of magic. They walked up to the great oak doors that lead into the sanctuary of the Dragon Riders. "How in the world do we open this door?" Eragon asked, pulling vainly on the doors that would not budge.

Arya could not help but laugh at Eragon's predicament, his face was comical as he struggled against the door. "Have you wondered why the castle looks relatively untouched? The Riders most likely enchanted the fortress so that only Dragon Riders and their friends could enter their halls."

Eragon looked ashamed that he had not thought of this earlier and Arya was yet again reminded of his inexperience. "You are right, I should I have noticed."

"Do not worry about that, experience will come with time, opening this door would be the logical next step," Arya said.

"Right," Eragon muttered. "Eka aí fricai un Shur'tugal!" Eragon proclaimed. Arya watched with keen interest as the oak doors opened of their own accord. As soon as they stepped into the castle, the doors swung shut until Eragon deigned it time to leave.

Arya heard Eragon gasp in shock and horror; the entrance hall was an ancient battlefield. Signs of dried blood were evident in the deteriorating carpets and the stone walls. Chairs were broken and pieces of wood strewn across the floor. Tables were knocked over and goblets and platters of food were knocked over. There were piles of bones everywhere, ranging from the large remains of dragons to the smaller ones of the Riders. "This must be the remnants of The Battle of Dorú Areaba."

The skin around Eragon's eyes tightened at the mentioning of the battle, "Aye, I suppose that it is. After all, only Riders can open the doors and Galbatorix was the one who initiated the battle. Murtagh most likely has not been here either, so the battle scene would be pristine."

_I will rip off Galbatorix's head for this. My race was slaughtered within these halls, _Saphira said in a strained voice, roaring her defiance.

Eragon put his hand on Saphira's foreleg, _Aye, we will have our revenge on Galbatorix for this crime, _He promised.

"Just make sure you do not attempt to attain your retribution prematurely," Arya cautioned, hoping they would not allow their anger to rule them.

Eragon nodded, his mouth set in a grim line. "Let's hurry and find the Vault of Souls, I do not wish to linger in this place for longer than necessary."

"Of course Eragon, but where do you propose we will find the vault?" Arya asked.

"I do not know," He admitted, "We will just have to search everywhere until we find it. There can't be that many rocks in a fortress."

Arya stole furtive glances at Eragon every now and then, he seemed even less comfortable in the fortress than he did in the open city of Dorú Areaba. He did seem more tense than usual, but who wouldn't feel uncomfortable? She herself felt uncomfortable in Gil'ead when she had went back to mourn Oromis and Glaedr's passing.

"Is this the library?" Arya asked in awe. They had just entered a large room with bookshelves upon bookshelves. The books were burned or destroyed for the most part by the fighting, but a few had managed to remain intact.

"I think so," Eragon replied, equally awed. "Perhaps there is something here that will tell us what we need to know about the Vault of Souls."

"I should leave then, these books are not for my eyes," Arya said wistfully, there was so much information that could be gained here.

"No, I would appreciate your help reading these books. I can't do it all by myself, there are so many!" Eragon said.

Doubt wormed its way into Arya's mind, "There are Rider's secrets in those books."

Eragon laughed, "There aren't Dragon Riders anymore, only me. I trust that you will not divulge whatever you find."

"Thank you," Arya said, eternally relieved that she would have this chance to read books in what used to be the most extensive library in Alagaësia.

They had been reading books for what seemed like hours. Arya was not reading each book word for word, merely skimming each one for any topics that might be of interest. At this moment, Arya wished that she was a sponge so that she could absorb as much information as possible.

"Eragon, come here read this." Arya said when she discovered a passage about enchanting dragon eggs.

"That will be useful should Saphira ever have any dragon spawn," Eragon said smirking.

_I can hear you, you know. It is not very polite to be talking about my reproduction when you two are only a drunken night away from sowing your seeds, _Saphira sniffed.

Arya blushed a deep shade of red while Eragon suddenly erupted into a fit of coughing. "Yes I apologize Saphira, let's not go there, shall we?" Eragon managed to say weakly. "But I have found something odd. I was looking at a book of the layout of the castle and apparently there is a section where only a select few Rider's are able to venture. What do you think is there?"

"It could be the Vault of Souls," Arya admitted, "If it is not, then it is something else important to the Riders. Either way, we should go there."

_I agree, maybe you two will run into an ancient ward that will make you both sterile. The last thing we need is little Eragons running around with the same mental capacity, _Saphira said, still miffed about the whole reproduction topic.

_Be nice Saphira, I was just teasing you, _Eragon pleaded, looking to Arya for assistance.

Arya ignored both of them preferring to maintain her dignity. "Which way is the secured area?" Arya asked, going right to business. Staying in Dorú Areaba overnight was not a pleasant option and she would prefer to be safely out of the city.

"It should be close to here, I will lead us, it will not be long," Eragon said, padding his way to the door.

"So how do we get past this?" Arya asked while Eragon once again tried to open an unopenable door. _Will he never learn that when a place has one enchanted door, it is bound to have others? _Arya thought to herself, exasperated. _But I suppose his naivety is one of his endearing qualities._

"Eka aí fricai un Shur'tugal!" Eragon exclaimed again. The proclamation was to no avail however as the door refused to budge. The large, golden door stood as immobile as ever, mocking the group with its enchantments. "Why won't it open?" Asked a very frustrated Eragon.

Arya sighed, she would have to use her experience to guide them, "Since we are inside the keep already, it is assumed that we are already Riders or friends and it would be a very useless enchantment. Assuming that only a few select Riders were allowed past these doors, it is probable that the password has something to do with rank."

Eragon sighed again and Arya almost felt guilty for correcting him. _Almost. _"So what should I say then?" Eragon asked.

"Perhaps try something about being the Master Rider. Since he _is _the highest rank in the order," Arya suggested.

"But I am not the Master Rider!" Eragon protested.

"There are no other Dragon Riders besides Galbatorix and you. You _are _the Master Rider," Arya replied softly.

"Fine," Eragon said almost sorrowfully, "Eka aí fienta Shur'tugal! _I am the Master Dragon Rider!_" He proclaimed again, with less confidence than the first time.

This time, the doors heeded his words and slowly creaked open, allowing a surge of energy to escape. "What was that?" Arya asked, slightly worried about the contents behind the door. Most objects that emitted energy were not friendly or safe.

Eragon merely shrugged and walked towards the source of the energy, unperturbed by the inherent danger of walking towards sources of energy. Arya followed him, hand on the hilt of her sword in case something should attack.

Nothing was waiting to attack from the darkness however, and only a lone rock stood in the chamber they had entered. A very large rock it was, rough and ancient. The castle was probably built around that rock during its construction, Arya figured.

"Do you think this is the Rock of Kuthian?" Eragon asked.

"It is as you said, there can't be many rocks in the fortress," Arya reminded him.

Eragon nodded and stepped up to the massive rock and placed his gedwëy ignasia on the flat surface. "Du Brisingr eu Hesterni un Duistarli," Eragon said. Arya felt a shiver run down her spine as her true name was said. _What an unusual feeling, not unpleasant though, _She thought.

She did not have much more time to think because the ground started swirling and the colors of the room mixed together. She tried to hang onto her consciousness for as long as she could, but finally she succumbed to the beckoning lights and fainted.

* * *

Arya woke up in a strange, blue room. She could discern that Eragon was next to her, awaking at the same time and Saphira next to him. She looked around and saw that they were not alone, there was a lone man in the center of the room, waiting for them it seemed. "Where are we?" Eragon asked groggily, apparently unaware of the strange man in the center of the room.

The strange man spoke at that point, "You my friend are in the Vault of Souls," He said chuckling. "Were you not seeking this place?"

"Aye," Eragon replied cautiously, "How did you know that?"

"Most people do not put their hand on a rock and say their true name," The strange man said. "But you," He said looking pointedly at Arya, "You do not look like a Dragon Rider, I count two elves and only one dragon. How did you get in here?"

Arya cleared her throat, her warning bells inside of her head were going off at an alarming rate. "I am his mate, I go where he goes."

"Ah, such devotion, if only every couple could have half as much devotion as you," The strange man said. "But tell me, what are you looking for? As you can see, this is quite a plain room."

_We are looking for power or anything that will help us topple Galbatorix, _Saphira stated.

"Ah, well met Skulblaka. How can you be sure there is power to be attained here?" The strange man asked with an eerie smile.

"We can't be, but there was no other option, so we came," Eragon said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"So you are reckless adventurers I take it?" The strange man questioned.

"I may be reckless," Eragon said with a laugh, "But Arya is quite the opposite."

"So why would you let him recklessly come to Dorú Areaba?" The strange man asked Arya. Arya felt suspicious, he was trying to pry some information from her, but she did not know what information.

"We did not come here recklessly as you might imagine. King Saldmeer, king of the werecats told us that the Vault of Souls was somewhere on Vroengard," Arya informed him, judging his reaction.

The strange man did not disappoint, his eyes opened in shock slightly, or was it disbelief? "So the old cat is still alive I take it? He wouldn't meet with any two-legged creature unless they had extraordinary fates, interesting…" The strange man was lost in thought for several minutes before he talked again. "Very well, I am Kuthian, Guardian of the Vault of Souls."

Arya was taken aback, he had a _rock _named after him? Eragon managed to voice her thoughts, "How did you manage to get a rock named after you?"

"It is quite an interesting story," Kuthian chuckled, "But it is far too long to tell you here. Let us cut to the chase, you want power and I can offer you power, but can you take it?"

"I do not understand," Eragon admitted, eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Of course you don't, but all will be explained in time," Kuthian said, talking in circles that even made the calm and collected Arya confused.

"What power do you speak of? Arya asked, ever the suspicious one.

"The Vault of Souls is the collection of the power of every dragon that has passed into the void," Kuthian explained.

"How can that be possible? Souls cannot be trapped," Eragon protested.

"I did not say that their souls come here, only their power. Every dragon that dies, willingly or not, donates their strength to the vault. The only exception is dragons who have given their Eldunarí to somebody else," Kuthian continued.

"How is this done? It defies every rule of magic that we know of," Arya said.

"Every rule that _you _know of. This spell was forged during the era of the Grey Folk. They created a spell so powerful that it traps the power hidden away in an Eldunarí. If the Eldunarí is still intact after a dragon's death, its power will not be added to the vault until the Eldunarí is subsequently destroyed." Kuthian's explanation, detailed as it was, still baffled the group.

"How does this spell work?" Arya asked, curious as to the mechanisms of the spell.

"Even I do not know this, I am not privy to the secrets of the Grey Folk unfortunately, useful as it would be," Kuthian said regretfully.

"How did you become trapped in here?" Eragon asked.

Kuthian shrugged, "I volunteered. Immortal life through the ages sounded appealing. Unfortunately, it is quite dull."

"Why is it dull? There must be something to do to pass the time," Eragon asked.

"This room is all there is. All I have to do is millennia's of thinking until somebody stops by for a chat, such as you." Kuthian smiled wryly.

"How can we help you out of here?" Eragon asked, pity decorating his voice. Arya stared at him incredulously, they did not even know Kuthian and Eragon wanted to help him. She sighed, his good nature could be a bit overwhelming at times, but it was a good quality nonetheless.

Kuthian laughed at this question, "You cannot. Only somebody from the outside world can destroy this Vault of Souls."

"So let me destroy it," Eragon insisted.

"You cannot, do you see this interesting device?" Kuthian asked, holding up a small, metallic oval. "It is where all of our power is stored. If anybody wants our power, he only has to have this stone in his possession and he has access to all of it. To destroy this vault, someone must take this device to the outside world and destroy it."

"So why not give it to me and I can destroy it for you," Eragon suggested.

"Kuthian laughed again at his suggestion, "You cannot, only a very special person can hold this stone. If you are not a match for it, then you will die," He said simply.

"What kind of person do I have to be to be allowed to hold it?" Eragon asked curiously.

"A whole bunch of things," Kuthian started, "The person has to be a leader of all the races in Alagaësia."

"If I can break it for you, will you grant me a favor?" Eragon pressed. Arya wondered what he was doing, he was not the leader of every race.

"What boon is it? Hypothetically of course, because I highly doubt you meet the requirements," Kuthian said.

"Permit me to use the vault's powers to slay Galbatorix before I destroy the vault," Eragon said, a hopeful glint in his eye.

"Why not?" Kuthian chuckled, "Of course it is not possible. Nobody in history has touched this rock besides me. Nobody met the requirements and I doubt anybody will. But take it if you choose, and perish like the rest." Kuthian held out the small, metallic rock in his outstretched palm.

Arya could see Eragon lick his lips before he walked towards the arm. _What is he doing? He will get all three of us killed. _But Arya chose to ignore her rational fear and trusted that Eragon knew what he was doing. Arya could see Saphira shuffling from foot to foot; she was as nervous as Arya was.

Eragon reached out towards Kuthian's hand and paused before grabbing the stone. He looked Arya straight in the eyes before he returned his attention to the rock and he gingerly picked it up in his hand.

The instant he picked it up, the room started to shimmer again. "My lord, you picked up the rock without dying instantly! You are actually exiting the Vault of Souls of your own free will!" Kuthian exclaimed in utter disbelief. "Who are you?"

Eragon merely smiled as his image faded slowly out of the Vault of Souls. Just as he was nearly gone, he said, "I am Eragon Shadeslayer, Master of the Dragon Riders, royal descendant of King Palancar, foster-brother to King Orik, mate to Princess Arya Drӧttningu, and chieftain in honor of the Kull…"

* * *

Author's Note:

Eka aí fricai un Shur'tugal – I am a friend and Dragon Rider.

Eka aí fienta Shur'tugal – I am the Master Dragon Rider.

Even though I only got 8 reviews for chapter 10, I got 11 reviews total, so I decided to update anyways. I had to really hurry to insure that I could update today.

I wrote this chapter in Arya's point of view because I wanted to try and illustrate what I believe Arya's thought process to be like after E/A happened. So most of the chapter is dedicated to the characterization of Arya, I hope you enjoyed the different writing style employed.

In case you guys don't remember, somewhere in Eldest, Eragon said that the Kull treated him like one of their war chiefs, so I translated that into being an honorary leader of the Kull.

I changed a small part of the their name from 'et' to 'un' because I just realized that CP did create a word for 'and'...Nothing big.

To Nat - Eldunarya is the plural form of Eldunarí. CP said it in one of his Q&A's, I don't remember which one.

Thanks everyone for reviewing :), keep it up! Next update will still be on Friday or Saturday, I haven't decided yet.


	12. Children's March

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 12: Children's March

"It feels good to be back on the mainland again," Eragon said.

"Yes," Arya agreed, "I am glad we did not spend much time on Vroengard, it was an unsettling experience on many different levels."

Eragon seated himself on the cold, hard ground; they had traversed the sea in a day and landed safely north of Narda. It was the dead of winter and the harsh winds were not forgiving. Taking some of the firewood they had gathered, he started a fire hoping that nobody would see the column of smoke. "Where should we head? Gil'ead or Dras-Leona?"

Eragon watched Arya consider the question and he could guess the struggle ongoing in her mind; to whom was she responsible to? The elves or the Varden? "We should head to Dras-Leona," She said at last.

"Wouldn't your mother want to know that we have the egg in our possession?" Eragon asked. He agreed with her decision, but was curious of her reasons.

"Once we present the egg to Nasuada or Islanzadí, we will be expected to search for a Rider," Arya said, pausing, "All of the Varden's children and young adults are in a single location making it more convenient to parade everybody past the egg. The elves are spread out among several cities which would lengthen the duration of our expedition. We can go to the elves after we have tried the Varden's children first."

Eragon took a second to process her logic, it made sense, but he was under the impression that there was something more personal under the surface. "Wouldn't an elf be preferable for the next Rider? They are more powerful and already trained in magic; they would require less training to become battle-ready."

"It would not matter; the Rider would still have to wait at least six months for his or her dragon to mature. Besides, the Rider most likely will not have to engage Galbatorix directly, since you are the only one infused with the power of the Vault of Souls, only you can duel Galbatorix," Arya said, easily countering his arguments.

"Should we contact Islanzadí via scrying if we head to Dras-Leona?" Eragon asked, abandoning hope of undermining her logic.

"No," Arya objected quickly. "If we contact the queen before we arrive in Dras-Leona, then she will command us to head towards Gil'ead. If we do not, she will be very upset."

Eragon was unable to comprehend her logic. Islanzadí would be displeased with their decision whether they contacted her or not. "There is something else, isn't there?" Eragon asked.

"What do you mean? I laid out my reasons to you, there is nothing else," Arya replied.

"Are you still angry with Queen Islanzadí? Is that why you do not want to bring the egg to her?" Eragon asked.

Eragon heard Arya sigh, "I do not want a Dragon Rider under her power."

Eragon was confused, why was Arya against her mother? "What will Islanzadí do if the Rider is an elf?"

"Imagine you, the new Rider, Nasuada, and Islanzadí are all in a meeting to plan a battle strategy. If Islanzadí does not like Nasuada's strategy, she will ask the elven Dragon Rider what he thinks and he will support Islanzadí's plan, effectively creating an impasse between the two allies." Arya explained.

"Shouldn't Nasuada and Islanzadí be agreeing on war strategies instead of playing political games?" Eragon asked.

"Ideally, I trust Nasuada's judgment, but Queen Islanzadí can be quite obtuse," Arya said. Eragon was reminded of their conversation in the Hadarac Desert and he couldn't help but agree with Arya's sentiments.

"You are right, so Dras-Leona it is," Eragon concluded.

* * *

Shouts of alarm arose as Saphira landed in the center of Dras-Leona, startling the surrounding denizens. The soldiers of the Varden were already well accustomed to Saphira's presence, but the poor city folk who remained in Dras-Leona were not so fortunate. Many of them ran for cover inside houses and believed themselves under attack; all in all, Saphira found it very amusing.

Arya took Eragon's hand when they disengaged themselves from Saphira's back and he looked at her surprised. "Are you sure you want to hold hands in public?" Eragon asked under his breath. He did not mind the public display of affection at all, but he knew that Arya was much more taciturn and might want to conceal their relationship.

She gave him a most peculiar look in return, "No, let everyone look at us. They will know of us one way or another, why hide it?"

Eragon gave her a quick smile before they headed towards Nasuada's encampment inside of the castle in the heart of the city. As they walked by, Eragon could hear surprised gasps; the men and women of the Varden had never seen Arya reveal any signs of intimacy, much less holding hands with their hero and savior.

Eragon did not let the veiled murmurs or the staring eyes affect him; if anything, he was happy that the men knew that Arya was _his _and the women knew he was _hers. _It was a selfish rationalization he knew, but humans were notorious for having wandering hands and eyes.

When they had entered the castle, they were forced to ask a guard about Nasuada's whereabouts. "She is in the upper floors Milord, She can be found in the conference room in the middle of the floor." Eragon thanked him for his help and they traversed the huge castle until they finally reached the top floor.

_Where are you going to do? _Eragon asked Saphira who could not fit into the castle.

_I am going to lay down somewhere and take a nap, I am exhausted from the trip, _She replied wearily. Eragon cut their mental connection to allow Saphira to rest in silence; she had laboriously carried them all over Alagaësia in a matter of weeks or months.

"My Lady," Eragon said, twisting his free hand over his sternum in greeting. He was met by a long silence filled with gaping eyes.

"Eragon! I did not expect you back for months yet, were you successful?" Nasuada exclaimed, running over to embrace him. The embrace was made awkward due to Eragon's intertwined hand and Nasuada soon perceived this new development and she was rendered speechless again. "Did you two---?

Eragon laughed, "If you mean to ask if we are together, then yes. If you were asking if we have tried to…engage in other physical activities, then no." Arya had rolled her eyes at Eragon's glibness and greeted Nasuada as well.

"You should watch your tongue Eragon; women do not like to talk about their sex life, or lack thereof," Nasuada warned him.

Eragon only grinned sheepishly, "I know, Saphira has chastised me already. But to answer your first question, yes, we were successful."

Nasuada quickly assumed a serious demeanor. "Can you defeat Galbatorix now?"

"I should think so, I wield more power than he does now, but he still retains an edge in experience," Eragon replied.

"What about you Arya? Do you think he is capable of battling Galbatorix evenly now?" Nasuada asked, looking for a second opinion.

"I have full confidence in Eragon's abilities," Arya replied. Eragon thought it unusual that she did not act warmly to people whilst in public; it could serve well as a diplomat.

"And can you explain this source of power to me? I am most curious," Nasuada asked.

"To put it simply, I have the power of every dragon that has died in Alagaësia barring those Eldunarí that Galbatorix has control over," Eragon replied, trying to eschew the details about Kuthian and King Saldmeer.

"Good, that should be much more than sufficient. Now all we have to do is wait for the springtime so we can siege Urû'baen," Nasuada replied.

"Nasuada, there is one more thing…We recovered the third dragon egg," Arya said, and Eragon noticed a spark of life jump into Arya's eyes.

Nasuada started coughing, out of shock Eragon assumed. "What? How? When? Where?"

Eragon grinned at Nasuada's lack of speech, "We recovered the green dragon egg outside of Narda."

"What was the egg doing there? And what were _you _doing there?" Nasuada asked suspiciously.

"Murtagh was carrying the egg around to discover a rider for the green egg. As for us, our quest took us to the same location," Eragon hedged, loathe to reveal the secrets of the werecat clan. If the adventurers who had encountered the werecats in the past had not divulged their secrets, neither would he.

"I see," Nasuada said warily, not believing that was the whole story. "May I see the egg?"

Eragon had allowed Arya to carry the egg because she was so mesmerized by it. He had once said that if anybody saw them, they would think she was in love with the dragon egg and not him. She had joked, at his expense, that the egg carried an intelligent being unlike himself and what wasn't to love about a beautiful, intelligent creature? Needless to say, Eragon did not bring up the egg and Arya in the same sentence again.

So it was Arya who drew the egg from a leather pouch slung on her back and carried the gorgeous egg to Nasuada. Nasuada could little more than gape and mouth silent murmurs of appreciation. She reached out a tentative hand to stroke the egg; to Eragon, it seemed as if she was worried she might break it.

"I cannot believe you acquired this from Murtagh…" She said trailing off. The mere mention of Murtagh jolted her to her senses, "What happened to Murtagh? And how did you pry the egg off of him?"

"Murtagh is dead," Eragon said simply. He did not wish to relive the painful memory.

Nasuada's eyes widened ever so slightly for the umpteenth time, "How did you overpower him?"

"I used Aren," Eragon said holding up his ring. "It is nearly out of power, I used a lot of energy during the fight."

"I see," Nasuada said, contemplating this turn of events for several minutes. "Well, it is good that Murtagh is finally out of the picture, even if it would have been nice if he survived this war…"

Eragon wondered at Nasuada's suggestive tone. She seemed distant at the mention of Murtagh's death and Eragon had to wonder if she and Murtagh had been intimate. But he decided to keep his thoughts to himself, to ask would be untactful. "What should we do now My Lady?"

"Oh," Nasuada said, brought back to reality, "I will order Jӧrmundur to assemble all of the children we have here. When they are ready, I will call on you to present the egg."

"Then we will take our leave unless there is something else?" Eragon said, hoping there wasn't. He hadn't had a comfortable bed for weeks.

"No, that is all, I will send a messenger to inform you of the proceedings when we are prepared. Go, rest, I am sure you are weary from your travels" Nasuada said, dismissing them.

* * *

A messenger found Eragon and Arya performing the Rimgar early in the morning; he stared at them queerly; doing a series of strenuous series of stretches early in the morning was not a human custom. "Nasuada has requested that you both present yourselves in the market square with the dragon egg when you are ready," He reported.

"Thank you," Eragon said, allowing the messenger to take his leave. "Shall we go?" Eragon asked Arya, ever the chivalrous one.

"Of course, we should get there as quickly as possible; there are many children in this city. It will be a long day," Arya replied coolly, sliding her cool hand into his.

"What are we expected to do?" Eragon asked, nervousness gripping him. Arya had much experience with these proceedings, but Eragon had never attended one.

Arya looked at him, and he could see that she knew he was nervous. "Do not worry, it is simple. All we have to do is stand by the egg while children pass by it every few minutes."

Eragon shot a quick smile to Arya, grateful for her reassurances. "I wonder who will be the new Dragon Rider."

"Do not raise your hopes too high Eragon," Arya warned, "I carried Saphira for decades and she never hatched."

_Of course, _Saphira snorted, _None were right for me except Eragon._

_And you could not have picked a better Rider, _Arya agreed. _Let us hope that this dragon will choose as wisely as you did._

"I am sure he will, all dragon's choose their Rider's carefully, even if some of them do not live up to the expectations," Eragon said.

Eragon and Arya discontinued their conversation because as they came into view of the market square, a boisterous cheer rose from the crowd. They were praising their heroes who had snatched the last dragon egg right from under Galbatorix's nose. It was an overwhelming scene; the marketplace was overflowing with adults. The children assembled were off to the side in a line, ready to parade past the egg at a moment's notice. Behind the children, Eragon spied a line of mothers; mother's who wanted nothing more than for their son or daughter to have the honor of being a Dragon Rider.

"Where do we put the egg?" Eragon managed to ask Arya over the raucous crowd.

Arya decided not to attempt to speak over the crowd and merely pointed to a pedestal in the center of the market. It was lined with velvet cushions, a fitting shrine for the last dragon egg in Alagaësia.

Eragon had insisted on carrying the dragon egg earlier that morning, prying the emerald orb from Arya's unwilling fingers. She had conceded graciously, albeit grudgingly in order to allow the Master Rider to carry out the task of presenting the dragon egg to the masses. And so Eragon slowly pulled the drawstrings on the pouch encompassing the egg and let the soft leather fall away. The crowd became utterly quiet at that point, watching the scene unfold. A pin could have dropped in the market and every set of ears would have detected it. Eyes were fastened on the package in Eragon's hands, mouths slightly ajar in expectation.

Eragon could hear the hushed whispers and low murmurs that swept through the crowd as the green egg was placed on the soft cushions. The sun glinted off of the shell and it made the beautiful green hue even more dazzling. Slowly, one by one, the bystanders broke into a thunderous applause again to celebrate Eragon and Arya's sweet victory.

Arya silenced the crowd after shouted into the air, "Let the children come forth and touch the egg! May a new Rider be born this day!"

The line of children slowly mobilized into action and began a slow pace that carried each child to the egg. Each child was permitted to touch the egg for a minute or two, if nothing happened, which was always the case, then they left and let the next child touch the egg.

If nothing else, Eragon could have been content just watching the children touch the egg. The way their eyes lit up as they took in the breathtaking beauty of the egg, the sound of their intake of breath when they first touched the egg, and the radiant hope that shined from their very essence as they waited and hoped that they might be fortunate enough to be chosen. Though to every action, there is a reaction and Eragon soon learned this. The children reached the pinnacle of hope and then mere minutes later were sent plummeting to the ground when the dragon was not forthcoming. It broke Eragon's heart to see this, knowing they might never reach the height of those hopes again during their life span, but he knew it was unavoidable.

This process was repeated for the endless hours of the day; children marched past the egg amidst the roaring crowd. If the conspicuous presence of the humans were not daunting enough, the added presence of Eragon and Arya; two fair elves who looked as vigilant as hawks with Saphira next to them, large eyes keyed in on every person who passed the egg, added an undecipherable level of uneasiness.

The sun was nearly setting, yet only a small fraction of the children had managed to parade past. The amount of children in Dras-Leona was astounding and it was evident to Eragon that this would span over the course of several days. A tiring and time-consuming task, but rewarding in the end, if the egg hatched that is.

* * *

Each day brought along with it, a sense of expectation. The nervousness that Eragon had exhibited the first day had disappeared by the second day. The adults always came back in full force, determined to watch every last child parade past the egg. _If they continue to stay here and cheer, Dras-Leona's economy might collapse, _Eragon said, _Nobody is working and getting paid._

_Relax Eragon; a few days of leisure will not topple Dras-Leona. It might even do them good, perhaps it will give them inspiration to work harder to achieve their goals, _Saphira replied.

_I suppose, I just wonder how their families are being supported, _Eragon said. He had been casually speculating and bantering with Saphira and Arya to pass the time. Talking within their minds enabled Eragon to block out the cheers that were raised from the crowd.

_Eragon look! Elva is in the line, _Saphira said, surprise leaking through their connection.

_What? _Eragon asked, quickly scanning the tremendous line that was slowly parading around the egg. Surprise filled him as his eyes swept over the petit form of Elva. _What is she doing here? She is only two years old._

_Still a child I suppose, and since she has the mental capacity of an adult, Nasuada allowed her to attend, _Saphira replied.

Eragon shuddered at the memory of Elva when he had cured her. She was acting on her own whims and not for other people; she would make a terrible Dragon Rider Eragon thought. But nevertheless, he allowed Elva to approach the egg and touch it like all the other nameless faces.

An eerie smile touched her childish lips as she ran her hand over the smooth, silky surface of the egg. She waited for a minute or two in front of the egg as the other children had and she had a pensive gleam in her eye. Eragon could not place what he had made her into, an awkward cross between a child and adult he supposed.

Against all odds, Elva was about to withdraw her hand from the egg when it cracked. First it was a single crack, then it was two, then a network of breaks had disrupted the shell's flowing appearance. A high pitched squeaking noise started to emanate from the egg. The raucous crowd had been effectively silenced by the scene occurring in front of them which allowed every soul in the marketplace to hear the screeches that had commenced.

Eragon could only watch the unfolding scene in front of him, white-faced and numb. This was, in his opinion, the worst possible scenario for the egg. Remaining dormant would have been preferable than hatching for Elva; who knows what she would do with a dragon. Beside him, Eragon could feel that Arya too stiffened at the choice of the apparent Rider.

A tiny, green head popped out of the egg, looking at the enormous crowd with large, doe-like eyes. More pieces of the shell broke off from the main body until the dragon was able to unfurl its leathery wings. It violently shook itself as the rest of its body was exposed to remove any lingering shards of the egg. The dragon was a brilliant shade of green, not quite the dark green of Du Weldenvarden, but a slightly lighter shade. It bared its teeth and every eye in the market followed its movement. A tendril of smoke streamed out of the dragon's nostrils, floating lazily into the clear, blue sky.

Neither Elva, nor Eragon, nor Arya, nor any living soul moved a muscle as they watched the dragon move around, ambling towards its Rider. The dragon sniffed at Elva's hand, smelling it like it was some sort of meat, which it was. Elva wore a devilish smirk as she attempted to pat the head of the dragon; the dragon snapped its jaws at this movement with hostility, forcing Elva to withdraw her hand lest she lose it.

The dragon then ambled in a different direction, sniffing all of the nearby children, looking for its rightful Dragon Rider. It moved from child to child, not finding what it sought, it hung its head whenever a new child failed its sniffing test, but managed to walk with an inherited pride regardless.

Finally, the dragon reached Arya and sniffed her scent, smelling her skin curiously. It let out a squeak when it took in her scent and barged its head into Arya's palm. The crowd that had been shifting their body with the dragon's every movement suddenly let out a collective gasp.

Elva allowed a shocked gasp to escape from her pouty lips and she stared at the couple with malice in her eyes. She could cause people pain like no one else, privy to secrets and personal tidbits that could ruin a man. Eragon barely noticed her though as she stalked away, fists clenched into tiny balls and mouth twisting into odd, painful shapes.

All Eragon noticed at that moment when the dragon's head met with Arya's hand were the violent shudders that racked her slim frame. Eragon could vividly recall the searing pain that traveled unhindered through his body when Saphira hatched for him and he moved to hold Arya in his arms, trying to ease the pain. It was a fruitless attempt he knew, but he had to do something; so he held Arya tight to his body as her body flew out of her control.

It seemed an eternity to all concerned when Arya stopped shaking at last and slumped back into Eragon's embrace, letting his arms support much of her work. "Are you alright?" Eragon whispered into her ear, concerned for her wellbeing. He was practically unaware of the return of the cacophony that erupted from the crowd with the birthing of a new Dragon Rider.

Arya did not respond to him and merely raised her hand and looked at the spot where she had been touched by the dragon. There was a white hot mark in the center of her palm that was still radiating light and energy; it was a gedwëy ignasia.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I got the name for the chapter from a composition we are playing in band in school. The director kept making us visualize children skipping which I thought the parade was similar to. So I hope you liked the chapter, some questions that arose at the end of the chapter will be answered next chapter.

I really don't like having to ask you guys to review, so please don't make me. My goal is at least 200 reviews by the time I finish the story, I am probably around halfway done right now.

To those wondering about Murtagh's Eldunarya; Brisingr(the book) said that Galbatorix owned hundreds of Eldunarya. Carrying all of those to battle would be impossible and impractical, so I figured he had some way of accessing his power from far away. It did not have much relevance in this story, so I did not expand on the idea, sorry for any confusion.

I was thinking of cutting off the chapter after the egg cracked under Elva's touch, but that would be unnecessarily cruel. I somehow managed to neglect that urge luckily for you all.

Next update will be next Saturday, please review, I hope you enjoyed the chapter :).


	13. Family Matters

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 13: Family Matters

Arya felt herself being pulled along in Eragon's wake. What was happening? She had been in a dazed and confused state ever since the dragon currently nestled in the crook of her arm had hatched. What would the Varden think? Eragon? Islanzadí? Arya was not quite as worried about the first two as she was of Islanzadí. What would she think when her only daughter and heir to the Knotted Throne appeared with a dragon in her arms, forfeiting all claims of rule? _Nonsense, _Arya assured herself, _She has known for years that I did not wish to inherit the throne. The dragon is merely another excuse to avoid succession._

Arya felt a nudge of annoyance inside of her mind as the hatchling took offense for being referred to as an excuse. The dragon was not yet a day old, but it could somewhat understand Arya's thoughts. It had been frequently sending weak pulses of emotions through their budding mental connection as responses to Arya's musings.

Arya was vaguely aware of the peculiar looks that the men and women shot at her as she ran by them. _We must look like quite the odd group, _Arya mused, _Eragon is towing me in his wake with one arm while my other arm is curled around an emerald dragon. _A plume of smoke escaped from the dragons nostrils, in what she assumed was agreement.

In her unfocussed state, Arya was supremely surprised when they entered the Dras-Leona castle. "What are we doing here?" Arya asked.

"We must get you out of the city, it is not safe here," Eragon replied briskly, pulling her towards the stairs leading to the upper floors.

"Not safe?" Arya objected, raising her thin eyebrows. "I am perfectly capable of defending myself." Arya had raised this argument often with Eragon, though she supposed he did not need to be reminded any longer.

Saphira snorted, _You were completely oblivious to the malicious stares that Elva was giving you. I would not put it past her to take revenge on you._

"Take revenge on me? I was not the one who cursed her." Arya regretted the words the instant they left her mouth. She saw Eragon recoil slightly, but he tried to cover it up by pulling her along at a quicker clip.

"Even so, when the egg hatched, she was fully expecting to be a Dragon Rider. She would have been loved, admired and feared by those who taunt her. You dashed her hopes from right under her nose," Eragon said. Upon seeing her annoyance, he added, "Though of no fault of your own."

They did not continue the conversation as they ran up the flights of stairs, looking for Nasuada in earnest. When they found her, she immediately spotted the dragon curled in Arya's arm. She did not need an explanation of the day's events, but Eragon decided to give a succinct synopsis anyways. "My Lady, the dragon egg has hatched."

"I can see that," Nasuada replied, raising an approving eyebrow, "He could not have chosen a more suited Rider."

Arya accepted the compliment with a nod of the head, "What would you have us do now?"

Nasuada pondered the question for a long period of time, "How long will it take for your dragon to mature?"

Eragon answered the question for her. "Dragons usually take around six months to be able to breathe fire."

"I see," Was all Nasuada said. Her eyes glazed over as she went over the various plans that were set in motion in the last few weeks. "I will try to postpone the final confrontation with Galbatorix until Arya is ready to fight. Currently, we have around three months of winter left; I will see what I can do to delay the attack for an additional three months."

"Thank you My Lady. What will the Varden be doing during the next six months?" Eragon asked.

"I will have Roran's forces meet us in front of Urû'baen after the snow and ice thaws. Hopefully, your dragon will mature by then," She replied, gesturing towards Arya's dragon.

Arya watched Eragon's face contort in a most odd manner; he looked as if he had neglected to mention something to Nasuada. "I forgot to inform you before Nasuada; Roran has a legitimate claim to the throne in Alagaësia."

"Explain yourself. He is not of royal blood," Nasuada said with a perplexed look on her face.

"Roran and I are both far separated descendents of King Palancar. I learned of our heritage during our quest," Eragon said.

Arya added her voice into the discussion when Nasuada did not look like she believed Eragon's tale. "It is true Nasuada; I would suggest that you use Roran's claim to gather more men to join the Varden. Surely a legitimate claim to the throne would persuade many that we are fighting for the right cause."

Nasuada seemed slightly more convinced with Arya backing Eragon's claim. "Of course, we will spread news of Roran around the Empire while you train, if he is willing that is."

"I am sure he will be My Lady, Roran will do anything to protect his family and overthrow the Empire," Eragon assured him.

"Let us hope so…But what do _you _plan to do now? Arya is already proficient in swordplay and magic," Nasuada asked.

Arya looked at Eragon, she too was wondering what was next. She was already more skilled in magic than he was. As for sword fighting, she assumed that they were equal, but they had not sparred since she had tested Eragon in Farthen Dûr so long ago. The thought made excitement rise in her chest, she was desperately curious of his skill level now that he had the strength and speed of an elf. "I wish to take Arya to Du Weldenvarden," Eragon said, answering their questioning stares.

"Why not stay in the Varden?" Nasuada asked.

"It is too dangerous, there are men and women who would like nothing more than to kill a baby dragon to earn infamy or to collect the scales. Not to mention Elva…" Eragon replied.

"Elva? What does she have to do with this?" Nasuada asked, oblivious to the events that had unfolded at the ceremony.

Arya answered the question; she felt responsible for Elva's animosity. "Everybody, myself included, believed that the egg had hatched for Elva. But the dragon rejected Elva's hand and touched mine instead."

"Did the dragon make a mistake? Why else would it reject the person who had hatched the egg?" The dragon in Arya's arm made a funny hissing noise, obviously displeased with Nasuada's conclusion.

"Nay, the egg hatched for Arya, but the dragon did not hatch until that very moment. It is not unheard of for a dragon to hatch days after it comes in contact with its potential Rider. Saphira did not hatch for me for a few days after I had discovered her egg," Eragon said.

"I see…When will you leave for Ellesméra?" Nasuada asked, reverting the conversation back to the original topic.

"Immediately, I do not wish to stay here longer than necessary," Eragon answered much to Arya's surprise.

"Should we not stop by Gil'ead to inform my mother of these…proceedings?" Arya asked, dreading the thought of breaking the news.

"Are you sure?" Eragon replied, looking at her with concern. "We can if you wish, it is not a long detour. She has to find out eventually."

Arya shrugged her shoulders, she could not prolong the delay. Not to mention Queen Islanzadí had no knowledge of their relationship. She shuddered at the thought of telling her mother that particular piece of information.

"It is for the best."

* * *

"Eragon," Arya said, drawing him away from the entrance of Islanzadí's command tent, "I have to warn you about Islanzadí."

He raised a skeptical eyebrow, "What about her?"

"I am going to tell her about…us," Arya admitted, watching Eragon's reaction acutely.

She watched as realization dawned on his face and his mouth formed the letter 'o'. "I see…What will she do?"

"Most likely be very angry, surprised, shocked, horrified, terrified, disgusted, mortified and whatever other synonyms you can come up with," Arya said satirically.

"That is quite a…strong statement. Why should she be _all_ of those things just because we are together?" Eragon asked, confusion written plainly on the contours of his face.

"Simply because of our differences. Namely our station and age," Arya replied, wishing she did not have to force Eragon to remember the fateful night of the Agaetí Blӧdhren.

"But we are of the same station now," Eragon protested.

"She does not know that yet. She still thinks you are a farm boy raised to a Dragon Rider," Arya admitted with shame. Shame that her mother would place such importance on rank.

"Then we will just have to tread carefully, won't we?" Eragon said with a wan smile. Arya was surprised at Eragon's seemingly nonchalance to other people's flaws, such as her mother's very apparent ones. Or hers.

"Yes we will, now you are prepared to face Queen Islanzadí," Arya said, walking by Eragon's side to enter the command tent.

"Queen Islanzadí," Eragon greeted, twisting his hand over his sternum.

"Eragon, it is good to see –," Islanzadí started. A mixed expression of shock and disbelief stopped her words dead in her throat as her eyes alighted on the dragon that was held in Arya's protective arms.

"What has happened?" She demanded, regaining her voice, though it still shook slightly.

"The green egg has hatched mother," Arya said, stating the obvious. She lifted her palm to show the gathered elves the gedwëy ignasia and a silent murmur rippled through the elves. "I am the Rider."

"How is this possible? You exceed the normal age limits for a dragon," The queen said slowly, trying to regain a modicum of composure.

"If I may," Eragon interrupted, looking down into Arya's eyes, "The egg is at least a hundred years old since it has been around since the Fall, that would make Arya a child at best when the egg was conceived. She could have become a Rider had she ever come into contact with the egg."

"How can this be? My own daughter, a Rider!" Islanzadí exclaimed again, apparently oblivious to any other piece of information. Arya suspected that her mother was in shock not out of happiness, but out of anger. Quite similar to the reaction she was expecting.

"Do not act so surprised mother, you should be joyful that I am fortunate enough to have been blessed with a dragon," Arya said.

"Blessed with a dragon? You were born a princess, raised to take the Knotted Throne when I relinquish power. Being a Dragon Rider nullifies the line of succession," Islanzadí said in a strained voice. Arya could only guess that she was trying to retain some level of control while in the presence of her councilors.

Arya replied with a tone equally as icy, could her mother feel no compassion for her only daughter? "You know as well as I _mother, _that I never wished to rule. You should be happy for me, not angry that our bloodline will not endure as royalty."

Islanzadí ordered all of the assembled elves to leave the pavilion in earnest so that she might parley with Arya in private. When Eragon remained standing next to Arya even after the room cleared, Islanzadí addressed him, "Shadeslayer, will you also please allow Arya and I to talk alone? This is a family matter."

Arya was surprised as she watched Eragon turn to leave; he had every right to remain in the conversation. She whipped out a hand to grab him on his upper arm, "Eragon, stay here. It is your prerogative to engage in this discussion."

Eragon sent her a questioning look, but did not refute her claim. "It is most certainly not his prerogative to stay whilst we discuss family matters. This has naught to do with Eragon," Queen Islanzadí replied, sending Arya a scathing look.

"On the contrary, it has _everything _to do with Eragon. He is the Master Rider and has every right to oversee proceedings that concern this dragon," Arya said, slightly raising the dragon curled in her arms.

"There are more personal matters that we must address, seeing as how he is not a part of the Drӧttningu family, he has no need to be present," Queen Islanzadí answered.

Arya saw an opportunity to reveal her relationship with Eragon and jumped on it. When would she have a better chance? Not to mention seeing the mortified look on her mother's face would be more than worth it. "Mother, you are not aware of this now but…" Arya started. She placed one of her hands inside of Eragon's, "Eragon and I are mates."

Arya watched as Queen Islanzadí fell back into the chair behind her, clenching the table in front of her with her full strength. Arya would not have been surprised in the least if the table had snapped under Islanzadí's force. "You are…what?" Islanzadí asked with a dangerous undercurrent in her voice.

Arya knew that she could not rely on Eragon to say anything at this moment; he looked utterly uncomfortable and kept shifting his weight from foot to foot nervously. "Eragon and I are mates. We have declared our love for each other," She announced, keeping the message simple.

"You know this cannot be," The queen said in a tone that Arya could only define as dangerously close to hysteria, "It would only serve to distract both of you from your duties. And I do not mean to impugn upon your honor," She said looking at Eragon, "But Eragon is a farmer's son while you are a princess. I cannot allow this to continue."

Arya opened her mouth to respond, but Eragon intervened on her behalf. It was fortunate timing, for Arya knew not what bitter words would escape from her lips. "If I may Your Grace, but it has recently come to my attention that I have a tiny drop of the royal blood of King Palancar running through my veins. But our differing ranks should not be of importance in the matters of love. I would do anything for Arya, I could never take it upon myself to break her heart or cause her undue pain. I love her and I cannot allow you to break us apart without her consent."

Arya looked at Eragon with renewed interest. He never failed to astound her with new facets of his personality that were just now revealing themselves to her. His speech was hardly eloquent or fluid, but it was heartfelt, and that was all that mattered. "It cannot be," Islanzadí repeated, speaking more to herself than the Eragon and Arya. She was trying to reassure herself, of what, who knows? "It would still be a distraction to the both of you. It will impede the efforts of the Varden and the elves over the past few decades."

"Mother," Arya said, softening her tone as she beheld Islanzadí's weakened state, "Unrequited love is equally as distracting or even more so than mutual love. Eragon and I being together will not only reduce the distractions, but will enable us to fight for our cause with additional vigor."

"Perhaps so, but I do not wish this to happen, you two do not fit together," Queen Islanzadí retorted, further angering Arya.

"Do you not see my needs and wants mother? Or do you only seek to benefit yourself? You cannot or will not force separation, I _will _oppose you to the bitter end," Arya said, frustration commanding her actions. She virtually dragged a bewildered Eragon by the hand and marched him out of the tent, leaving a stunned Queen Islanzadí in her wake.

* * *

Arya felt a pair of arms encircle her waist. She knew without looking that it was Eragon since there was nobody else behind her while they flew on Saphira's back. She could feel that Eragon wanted to discuss the day's events, but he did not say a word.

Since no words were forthcoming from Arya's mouth, Eragon said simply, "Gil'ead."

That was all that needed to be said. Arya could hear the inquisitive nature of his question and the open-endedness of the remark. "Do not trouble yourself over it, I assumed that something like this would occur," Arya replied, hiding the pain in her voice.

"I am worried because you are in pain, I want to help." Eragon admitted.

Arya sighed. "It is just that Queen Islanzadí was the last of my family. Now that near all of our ties are severed, I am left without kin."

She could feel Eragon's hands rub comforting circles on her arms. "We are your family Arya. Me, Saphira and your dragon; our lives are interconnected in every way imaginable," Eragon replied.

"I know, but this is similar to the chasm that grew between Islanzadí and I when I accepted the yawë. As much as I disagree with Queen Islanzadí, she is still my mother and I do not wish to maintain a hostile relationship with her," She admitted. Despite the dispassionate tone she used whenever she spoke of the fight over the yawë; Arya _did _want to reconcile with her mother.

"Do not worry yourself over this, Islanzadí _will _accept your decisions in time," Eragon said, his breath whispering across the sensitive skin on her neck.

"I hope you are right," Arya said.

"Trust me, I will do everything I can to get Queen Islanzadí to accept me. I do not wish to have your mother's disapproval," Eragon said.

Arya smiled. "I do Eragon, I am sure she will accept 'us' in time. You are very easy to like," Arya said, feeling better than she had an hour ago.

She could feel her dragon's scaly head in her arms, Saphira's scales under her legs and Eragon's arms wrapped around her; she could get used to their small family, just the four of them.

* * *

Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, it was a lot of dialogue, but when aren't my chapters dialouge heavy?

For anybody concerned with the lack of the green dragon or Saphira in this chapter, don't worry. Saphira generally does not have as large of a role when I write form Arya's POV. The green dragon will take a larger role in the chapters to come, I just wanted this chapter to be about Arya's relationship with Islanzadi.

I really appreciate the reviews last chapter :), that was the most for any chapter so far.

I hope I can get the next chapter up by next Saturday, but no promises. I am currently tied up playing FFXIII and I can't stop playing. Video game addiction.

I want 75 reviews before I put up chapter 14, so review away :). Cheers.


	14. Love Hurts

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 14: Love Hurts

Eragon awoke with a squint of the eyes. Sunlight was pouring through his open window and a cool draft wafted through the room. He sat up on his soft mattress, the blood rush from his head to the rest of his body spurred a memory recollection. He remembered landing in Ellesméra with Arya and receiving a mixed reaction from the elves; a mixture of awe and admiration for the newly hatched dragon and slight coldness for Saphira's rash assault on the Menoa Tree. He had stumbled into his tree house home in the city exhausted, having been flying for well over half a day. The last thing he could remember was losing consciousness on the feathery mattress, a convenience he had not had for several days.

Eragon poked his head out of the window and noticed that the sun was already high in the sky. _What time is it? _Eragon asked Saphira in a slightly panicked voice.

_Good morning to you too Little One, _Saphira replied smugly, _It is past midday, you have been sleeping for over twelve hours._

_Twelve hours? I should have been up hours ago, we must meet with Arya to inform them of our activities in the next few months, _Eragon said, fretting over his lateness.

_Don't worry Eragon, I am sure Arya was just as tired as you were. You were both awake for the same amount of time, _Saphira answered, apparently unperturbed by the time of the day.

_You are right, _Eragon said, his voice trailing off into the wind. A guilty thought struck him from out of the blue, _Shouldn't you have been sleeping the longest. You have been flying for several days with little rest while Arya and I just sat on your back._

_I should have, but dragons do not need as much rest as humans and elves do. We can get along with a mere few hours of sleep at a time, though it is not very comfortable, _Saphira informed him.

_I can imagine, _Eragon said chuckling a bit, _But speaking of Arya's training. What will we do?_

_I don't know. There is nearly nothing that Arya can learn from you and her hatchling is not yet able to fly. I suppose we will just pass our days in the peaceful atmosphere of Du Weldenvarden whilst teaching the hatchling the languages and numbers, _Saphira replied.

_How long do you think it will be until Arya's dragon is able to speak? _Eragon asked.

_Not long I would imagine, it has been how may das since his hatching? Four? Five? _Saphira mused, _It should only be a week more at the most. Most likely less because we will be communicating with him constantly._

_I see, what name do you think he will accept when he is able to speak? _Eragon asked, his questions bubbling over with no apparent end.

_I have no idea, _Saphira answered truthfully, _Nobody can guess what name a dragon will choose until they do so. _

* * *

Eragon found Arya sitting under a large oak tree near the training grounds lost in thought. She did not notice as he approached her and quietly seated himself next to her. "What are you thinking of Arya?"

Her eyes snapped attentively to his face, noticing his presence for the first time. "My apologies Eragon, I did not notice your arrival."

"It is of no concern," Eragon said dismissively, "I am sorry that I have kept you waiting. I was as dead as a log this morning."

"I have not been waiting long. The flight to Ellesméra left me exhausted and I also slept away much of the morning," Arya said.

Relieved that he was not the only one who had overslept, Eragon asked general questions about her dragon. "Has your dragon spoken to you yet?"

"No, he is using pictures to speak his mind," Arya replied. Concern appeared in her eyes when a thought crossed her mind. "Is it unnatural that he is not able to speak yet?"

Eragon smiled at Arya to allay her fears. "Nay, Saphira and I suspect that he will be able to communicate verbally very soon. Within the next few days if our estimates are accurate."

Arya let out a deep breath, taking a few moments to fill her lungs with air before speaking again. "I am glad nothing is wrong; I would be sorry excuse for a Rider if something happened a week after his hatching."

"You will not fail as a Rider," Eragon said confidently. He clasped her hand in his, rubbing soothing circles into her palm. "Saphira and I both have complete confidence in your abilities."

She shook her head quickly, the locks of her hair airborne for a few fleeting seconds before they settled into place. "Do not mind my aimless worries; more importantly, what will we be doing in the upcoming months?"

"Ah, that," Eragon said, collecting his thoughts, "Saphira will be teaching your dragon in the secrets of their race once he can talk. Until he is able to fly easily, aerial training will be impossible."

"And me?"

This question was slightly more difficult to answer. Several unproductive hours of thinking was the result of mulling over this question for days at a time. "I have little that I can teach you that you do not already know. You are my equal at the very least in magic if not superior in skill. We will just keep our skills in shape while we wait for your dragon to mature."

"I see," Was Arya's answer. "Will I have to call you master?"

This caught Eragon off-guard; he had not thought about that prospect before. "Nay, I would feel out of place if you called me master."

Arya let out an audible sigh of relief, apparently the possibility of calling Eragon her master was unappealing. "Forgive me, I had to ask. On a more important subject, will Saphira and my dragon train with us? Or separately?"

"Separately," Eragon answered quickly, "Their secrets are only for a dragon's knowledge. Secrets that have never been divulged with outsiders, even their own Riders."

"What will we do while they train? Surely we cannot practice our magic or swordplay for that many hours a day," Arya said curiously.

Eragon gave her one of his lopsided grins, "I have not decided yet. We will figure it out as we go I suppose."

"I can that you are very prepared Eragon," Arya said, rolling her eyes playfully.

He snorted, appreciating her lack of criticism for his underdeveloped training regimen. "Everything will sort itself out in the end, they always do."

"What will we do today then? My dragon cannot speak yet," Arya said.

Eragon's mind went blank, he had only thought of talking about the upcoming months. He did not have anything planned for after the conversation. Recovering quickly, he said, "Whatever you wish to do Arya."

Her eyes had a gleam in them that clearly said that Arya knew already knew what she wanted to do. "I wish to spar with you if you are willing."

Eragon coughed in surprise, out of everything he had suspected she might say, sparring was not one of them. "You wish to spar? Why?" Eragon asked, he was not adverse to the idea, just caught off-guard.

Arya wore an innocent expression, "We have not sparred since I tested you in Farthen Dûr. You have changed greatly since then and I wish to see how our skills compare to each other."

Eragon grinned, "I don't see any reason not to spar. I wish to see how I compare to one of the strongest warriors in Alagaësia."

"The strongest?" Arya asked, lifting a delicate eyebrow, "Hardly Eragon. There are dozens who are much stronger in battle than I."

Eragon looked seriously at her, "You have fought in more battles than any other person in Alagaësia barring Galbatorix himself. You have survived each encounter stronger than you were when you entered them. It is quite feasible to imagine that you are one of the strongest."

"Perhaps you do not know this yet because you have not extensively seen your elven guards in combat, but nearly all of them are equally powerful as I am or more so," Arya said.

"Yet none of them have nearly the amount of battle experience as you. Magic and swordplay are not the only measures of battle prowess, using your mind and the resources around you are just as important. Master Oromis taught me this when I was still a new Rider," Eragon said wisely.

Arya favored him with a quick smile, "You flatter me Eragon, but enough of the idle chatter. Let us test our skills against one another now!" Arya stood up quickly and unsheathed her sword in one fluid motion. She strode away from the tree that were sitting under, waiting for Eragon to prepare himself.

Eragon shook his head in amusement before he too rose and drew Brisingr from its scabbard. Its scintillating beauty caught one of the rays of sun that penetrated the forest canopy, scattering the light all over the forest floor. "As you wish Arya, may the best one be victorious."

They circled each other tirelessly, swords held carefully in front of their body, ready to block any sudden attack. An odd thought struck Eragon as they studied each other, waiting for a lapse in concentration, _It is quite odd that Arya and I have seen each other fight countless times, yet we do not know each other's style intimately._

_Indeed it is Eragon, _Saphira said, interrupting his thoughts. _combat for you two is an integral part of your lives and relationship, yet you do not fully understand each other in that regard. But enough of my musings, if you continue to think stray thoughts, Arya might slip under your defenses._

Eragon snapped his undivided attention back to Arya's figure, watching how she looked like a prowling animal waiting for its prey to turn its back. Her slender figure swayed with the light tilt of the blades of grass, allowing her body to remain fluid and relaxed.

He was sure that Arya too was studying his different habits and his posture. Deciding to initiate the duel, Eragon feigned an error in his cross-step by 'accidently' tripping lightly over his heel as his back leg crossed behind his front leg as he moved in a circle. Eragon watched as Arya's body instinctively coiled in preparation to attack as her brain registered his supposed blunder.

Eragon was not disappointed as his opening strategy worked as intended. In one fluid bound, Arya closed the distance between them and swung her sword in a downwards arc, trying to capitalize on his foot misplacement. The sword strike was designed to force Eragon to shift all his weight to his back leg which hypothetically should force Eragon into an awkward stance and open up his defenses. However Eragon had been expecting this and had put his body into position for a somersault beforehand. As Arya's sword was driven towards his front leg, Eragon acrobatically flipped in the air, directly over her head.

While he cleared the air over Arya's head, Eragon skillfully twisted his body to put momentum behind his sword arm that was currently flying towards the back of her head. As he landed softly on the ground, his sword came into contact with the air where Arya's head should have been. But his attack had been avoided as Arya sensed the disturbance in the air where Eragon's sword was. In the split second before contact with Brisingr, Arya had rolled out of the way, placing herself to the right of Eragon.

Eragon gave her no time to recover and pressed his attack, forcing Arya to focus all of her attention to blocking his quick blows. He was relentless, refusing to give Arya even a second to regain her form. The less she attacked, the better a position he was in.

His tireless drove of attacks abated suddenly as Arya countered an attack by ducking under the swing of his sword and kicking his legs out from under him. Eragon fell back roughly on the ground, breaking his fall with his empty hand.

Looking up from his vulnerable position, Eragon found himself staring at a vicious downward swing that was plummeting towards his neck. Scrambling for survival, Eragon managed to roll out of the way of the incoming sword, feeling the blade come dangerously close to the hairs on the back of his neck.

Jumping to his feet, Eragon had the tide of the duel reversed. He found himself staving off the multitudes of attacks that Arya rained down upon his defenses. Several sweat-dripping minutes passed as Eragon was busy blocking swipes at his head, stabs at his heart and cuts at his legs. The lithe body of Arya's blade was a slight shimmer as it cut effortlessly through the air, pausing only slightly every time Eragon's blade deflected her sword.

Eragon did not have to look behind him to know that a tree would soon impede his slow backpedaling. He could feel its presence behind him and was certain that it was Arya's plan all along to drive him back towards the tree and then pound on his defenses until he gave way. But two people could play at that game he decided, perhaps he could turn her strategy against her as she had turned the tide of battle against him.

His primal instincts took over his body as he attempted to switch their positions in the duel. Side-stepping a lunge towards his chest, he parried Arya's sword, knocking the blade to the side like it was a feather. The collision of their swords forced Arya's weapon into the base of the tree, temporarily immobilizing the deadly edge.

Arya quickly removed her sword from the tree, but the few nano-seconds that it had taken her to do so were not wasted by Eragon. As her sword unhinged itself from the bark of the tree, Eragon slashed Brisingr down on her own blade, jarring Arya's arm. The impact freed Arya's sword from her grasp, allowing the unfettered sword fly and bury itself into the ground twenty feet away.

Their eyes made contact briefly as they watched the blade dance in the air and sheath itself into the soil. Then, as quickly as they had met, they broke off to look at the buried sword. In the blink of an eye, Arya darted around Eragon and sprinted towards her weapon. Eragon missed catching her by a millisecond as she ran by and ended up giving pursuit.

He was as quick as Arya was and as she made contact with the hilt of her sword, Eragon's body came crashing into hers as a result of a dive to prevent her from rearming herself. They both flew to the ground, bodies clashing forcefully against each other. Eragon felt Brisingr fall out of his hand as his wrist was banged by Arya's knee in their tumble. Limbs grappled with each other as each person fought for dominance.

Subconsciously, Eragon fought his way over to his fallen weapon, trying to end this intense duel in one move. Momentarily on top of the brawl, Eragon groped blindly around the ground for Brisingr while his other arm tried desperately to pin Arya to the ground. However, Arya was not to be taken lightly and she kneed Eragon in the ribs, allowing her to force her way to the top of their body pile.

As Eragon was thrown asunder on the ground, his hand was slammed on the handle of something hard. Grasping wildly, Eragon gripped the pommel of the object and brought it around Arya's back and rested it on her bare neck. His arm trapped Arya against his body and left no ways to escape.

They stayed in that position for several minutes as Arya deliberated several possible escape routes. Eventually deeming her efforts to be futile, Arya conceded the victory to Eragon gracefully.. "Well done Eragon, you have bested me."

He grinned breathlessly, his heart still pumping blood through his system several times too fast. He dropped his sword to the ground, allowing it to clatter away harmlessly. "Partners don't best each other, they just help each other improve. And you are certainly a partner to me in nearly everything in life."

Arya merely grinned at him, still exhilarated from the duel. Lowering her head, she kissed Eragon soundly on the lips before she rested her head in the nook of his neck. They remained in the position for a time, waiting for their breaths to stabilize and heart rates to slow.

Eragon decided to end the blissful moment as he watched the birds in the trees. "We should go, we do not want anybody to see us in this position."

Arya offered Eragon he hand as she wordlessly agreed with his sentiments. Grasping her hand tightly; he hauled himself to his feet and dusted off his tunic. "Thank you for a most interesting duel Arya."

"Of course Eragon, it was my pleasure. Will we do this again?" Arya asked, curiosity thinly veiled in her voice.

Eragon was thoughtful for a second before he replied, "Yes, I think we will, it will keep our skills intact. We will be dueling often in the next half a year I should think."

* * *

Author's Note:

I am truly sorry for the long delay, but I did warn you guys it might take me two weeks to write ;p. On a brighter note, you guys hit my requested review mark and surpassed it, so thank you all reviewers for sticking with this story!

The next chapter will definitely be up next Saturday as I have Spring Break coming up which gives me more time to write my chapters.

My goal of reviews is 97 by next Saturday, though 100 would be nice ;p.

I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, see you guys next Saturday :)


	15. Feel of a Name

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 15: Feel of a Name

"Here's your meat," Arya said, stroking her dragon's scales. Feeding was not one of Arya's favorite pastimes, not even close to it, but she dutifully fed her newborn dragon chunks of meat regularly and it was paying dividends. The green dragon had grown at an astronomically fast clip over the past couple of days due to the steady diet of raw meat.

_Perhaps, with another week of this growth, he will be able to hunt for himself, _Arya thought. At first, she was as frightened of touching the bloody meat as she was of her fingers being chomped off while she fed her dragon. Now however, the meat scarcely affected her and she could hold it in her hands without gagging from the stench.

Her dragon nestled down quietly next to Arya after consuming several slabs of meat and snorted lazily, thin layers of smoke escaping from his mouth and nose. "One day soon, we will be able to talk verbally and I will share many stories with you about the many people in Alagaësia. One day, we will visit these people and places for ourselves and forge our own stories," Arya told her dragon. It had become a habit to talk about anything and everything with him even though he did not fully comprehend all of the information. Eragon had said that talking frequently to her dragon would speed up the process of verbal communication, so she was determined to talk as much as possible.

Arya stroked her dragon's emerald scales and wondered what a Rider's sword would look like with the emerald color. "Eragon never did tell me about how he forged his sword you know," She said to the emerald dragon, "I suppose I will just have to ask him about that particular venture later."

Her dragon sent Arya a mental image of her mother, Queen Islanzadí. This was not the first time he was curious of Islanzadí; asking about her mother was his most frequent line of questioning. Arya sighed, "So you really wish to learn of my family?"

The dragon nodded mutely, clear eyes focusing on Arya intently. "Very well; a hundred years ago, I was conceived by King Evandar and Queen Islanzadí. I admit that I do not remember much from before the war started, but we were a small, happy family."

"My father would often visit other elven cities for political reasons, but he never failed to bring home little trinkets from each place he visited. Once he brought me a small fairth from Ília Fëon which is in the outskirts of Du Weldenvarden. Ília Fëon is known for its unique flower gardens which hold many breeds of flowers that can't be found anywhere else in Alagaësia. The fairth that he brought back was created by a very skilled craftsman in the city and it was an image of the flowers swaying in the wind with bright rays of sunshine pouring down upon them. However, the specialty of the craftsman was his ability to fuse his fairths with the scents of whatever he created. The fairth he gave King Evandar was infused with the individual scents of every different flower in the picture."

Arya looked up at the sky, lost deep in her thoughts of the past. Her dragon nudged her shoulder lightly with his snout. "Ah that's right, I never did answer your original question did I?" Arya answered, drawn out of her reverie.

The emerald dragon shook his head in answer. "Queen Islanzadí…Where to start?" Arya mused. "When I was still a young child, my father, King Evandar, was killed in battle by the Forsworn. After he died, Islanzadí became more of a queen and less of a mother. She wallowed in grief and her personality was drastically altered; instead of being warm and caring as she was previously, she became cold, hard and calculating. I suppose traumatic events bring out a completely different side of us."

_Yes._

"Eragon, was that you?" Arya asked in confusion, turning around to scan the surrounding trees for any trace of her mate.

"You know I don't like to play these mind games." Arya was quickly becoming exasperated at Eragon's childish behavior.

Arya stood up from her spot in the shade and walked in a small radius around the tree she had been under. Upon not finding anybody, she seated herself next to her dragon again. "Well that was quite odd, if it was Eragon, he would not have hidden himself for so long."

_Yes._

"Eragon, if that is you…" Arya said between clenched teeth, letting her threat trail off suggestively.

Arya extended her mind to encompass a large area, determined to find Eragon's presence and then mentally torture him until she was satisfied. She had searched in every direction for a mile and yet did not locate Eragon anywhere nearby. Completely stumped, Arya sat back against her dragon's scales and exhaled noisily. _If it was not Eragon who contacted me, then who could it be? _Arya asked herself. _I did not sense any other being nearby except for me and…_

She bolted upright in shock. _Was it you who spoke? _Arya asked her emerald dragon tentatively.

_Yes._

Arya clenched her fists tightly, fingers squeezing the life out of the trapped blades of grass. Her face was taut, frozen in time as her mind tried to process the simple answer. Despite expecting her dragon to speak soon, nothing could have prepared her for the actual moment.

_So you can speak now? _Arya asked, eyes still wider than normal.

_Yes._

_Can you say anything other than 'yes'? _Arya asked, concerned about the size of her dragon's vocabulary.

_Yes._

Saphira and the emerald dragon must have mixed up their chosen Riders Arya decided. Eragon's humorous personality would have matched better with the emerald dragon. _Will you say anything other than 'yes'?_

_Perhaps._

Arya wondered if Saphira's first words were similar to these. She hoped that they were or else her dragon might grow up to be excessively sarcastic. She already had one man with a witty sense of humor in her life, she wasn't sure if she wanted another. _I can hear you, _Her dragon said, soundly slightly affronted.

_Sorry, I am not used to having another mind inside of my own, _Arya replied.

_Do you, _Her dragon seemed to have trouble finding the correct word. Not very surprising considering he only started using the language today. _Not like me inside your head?_

_No, no. That's not it, _Arya amended quickly, _I just need time to adjust._

_Who is…Eragon? _The questions from the hatchling never seemed to end. Now that he could voice all of his questions, he did so.

_He is my mate, _Arya answered.

_Mate?_

Arya bit her lip as she thought of a good way to explain her relationship with Eragon. _Mates are two people who share everything together. They share the same adventures, food, living arrangements and so on._

Despite his limited vocabulary, the dragon was very observant and managed to surprise Arya again. _But you and Eragon do not live together. Are you still mates?_

Heat rose to Arya's face in response. _Yes, we are just not at that point yet. It will come…eventually._

Her dragon deemed Arya's answer adequate and moved onto his next question. _Who is…Saphira?_

_Saphira is Eragon's dragon just as you are mine, _Arya answered, much more comfortable with this question than the last one.

_So Eragon is also a Dragon Rider? _The emerald dragon asked, stunning Arya with his acute observations.

_Yes, he and I are the same in that respect, _Arya replied coolly. _But how do you know what a Dragon Rider is?_

Her dragon snorted, apparently snorting was a very common response for all dragons. _All dragons are born with that… _The dragon seemed to be stuck on another word, _information._

_I see… Is there anything else you wish to know? _Arya asked.

_Yes._

Arya waited for a few moments, but did not receive any questions. She sighed, _Are you going to ask your questions?_

_Oh, I was supposed to ask one? _The dragon answered, seeming genuinely puzzled.

_Yes, generally when you say that you have a question, you ask it, _Arya replied, raising one of her eyebrows.

_I am not…familiar with the…courtesies of speaking yet, _Her dragon said, stumbling on some of the more difficult words. _In that case, why do you and Eragon look…different?_

_I am an elf while Eragon is only part elf. There are many different races of beings in Alagaësia, that is why we look different._

_Part-elf? How can you only be part of something? _The dragon asked again.

Arya had to carefully plan out her answer, she was sure her dragon would not fully comprehend the events that occurred during the Agaetí Blӧdhren. _Eragon was transformed from being a human. He is only partly elven. He has some human characteristics and some elven ones. That is why he is only part elf._

They fell silent after that, mulling over the recent events. Arya was struck by an odd thought that eluded her earlier. _How do dragons choose their names?_

_We feel the name._

_How do you 'feel' a name? _Arya asked, confused.

_It is simple, you list names and when one feels right, it becomes my name, _The dragon answered.

Arya thought about the many dragon's she had read about in the books and scrolls in Elven history. She carefully chose a bunch of names that she thought _might _suit her dragon. _Are you Galzra?_

_No._

_Are you Valinor?_

_No._

_What about Briam? __Ohen? Roslarb? Fundor? Jura?_

_No._

Arya racked her brain for more names. If this pattern of rejection continued, she might need help from Eragon to come up with additional names. She would much prefer to avoid that particular scenario, how could she claim independence if she couldn't even name her own dragon?

She remembered that there was a green dragon so long ago that was the Head Dragon. He was heralded to be one of the largest and strongest dragons to ever grace Alagaësia, but his face was nameless in her mind. She remembered that he was the successor of Valinor, the Red Dragon. All of a sudden, his name finally came to Arya. _Are you Eridor?_

Her emerald dragon seemed to pause for a moment before answering. _Yes, I am Eridor._

Arya smiled, she had finally done it. She found the perfect name for her dragon. Eridor…It fit him perfectly. He would grow up to be a fearsome dragon one day and truly live up to his namesake.

Arya was drawn out of her dream world with Eridor when Eragon approached her. "Arya! I was starting to get worried about you, you missed our morning training."

Guilt crept through her mind, she had forgotten completely about their training. "My apologies Eragon, I was talking with Eridor and I lost track of time."

"Eridor?" Eragon asked, genuinely confused.

"Oh yes, I forgot. Eridor is my dragon, he started speaking today," Arya said, watching Eragon's reaction carefully.

"What!? That is great news Arya!" Eragon said, a grin forming on his mouth.

_Hello Eragon, _Eridor said, broadcasting his thoughts to Arya, Eragon and Saphira. _Arya has told me much about you._

_Greetings Eridor-vodhr, it is a pleasure to meet you, _Eragon said courteously.

_I expected you to be less…what is the word? Ah yes, polite, _Eridor said.

_Why? _Eragon asked, studying Eridor carefully.

"Don't mind Eridor, he is as cheeky as you are Eragon," Arya said dismissively.

"Hey, I am not cheeky," Eragon protested.

Arya only smiled and shook her head. She fell on her back as her support disappeared, leaving her leaning against thin air. She looked up to see that Eridor had abandoned her side to sit by Saphira. Saphira looked as excited as Eridor was, but managed to contain herself whereas Eridor was sniffing Saphira curiously. "They seem to be getting along well," Arya said, nodding towards the two dragons.

"Yes," Eragon said, watching the dragons with a smile, "That is not surprising. But it will be beneficial for Eridor's progress, with Saphira constantly talking to him; he will quickly become fluent in both the human language and the Ancient Language."

Arya nodded her agreement in silence. "Eridor is already very adept at speaking despite his tender age. He has a firm grasp on the language."

"He does," Eragon agreed, "Dragons are very intelligent. Their mental capacities are astounding."

"When do you think he will be able to fly?" Arya asked out of the blue.

"Soon, I can't tell you an exact time, but it can't be too far now. However, you will not be able to fly on his back for quite some time," Eragon replied.

"Why not?" Arya asked curiously. Flying on Eridor had seemed a distant dream just this morning, but with the recent developments, it now seemed much closer.

"If you attempt to fly on his back too early, then you can permanently damage his wing muscles," Eragon answered.

"How?" Arya asked, appalled by the idea of injuring Eridor.

"If you mount Eridor before his muscles have time to fully develop, you will put too much stress on his wings. The additional weight can cause the wing muscles' growth to be stunted, preventing Eridor from ever flying," Eragon answered truthfully.

Arya instantly regretted asking the question, the answer was much too horrible. "Ah, I wish I did not ask."

A comforting hand touched Arya on her arm, "You should not regret asking. If you didn't, then you might have tried to fly on Eridor far too soon and ended up hurting Eridor."

"I suppose you are right," Arya admitted. She felt slightly better after Eragon's explanation. He was right; if she did not ask, then she might have injured Eridor one day. Now she would be certain to never fly on him until he was developed. Arya looked at Eridor and found him crawling all over Saphira's scales, like a child playing with his mother. "I hope Saphira does not mind Eridor climbing over her."

Eragon laughed, the sound a pleasant chorus in her ears. "Quite the opposite in fact. Saphira is elated to have found another living dragon in Alagaësia."

"Does Saphira think of him in a romantic light?" Arya was instantly embarrassed as the words slipped out of her mouth.

Eragon snorted, amused at the thought. "Nay, right now Saphira cares for Eridor like a mother. Perhaps romantic feelings will emerge later, when they are both matured."

"Ah," Was all Arya could muster, cheeks still tinged red. "Do you think there _will _be romantic feelings?"

"Of course," Eragon said in a tone that clearly said that the answer was obvious. "They are the only sane dragons left in Alagaësia."

"You do not have to fall in love with the last survivor of your race," Arya objected.

"It helps, but you are right. However, there are other reasons why they most likely will be involved romantically," Eragon started, "For one, A Rider and his or her dragon share feelings and will be inclined to engage in a close relationship with their counterpart. Since you and I are in love, Saphira and Eridor have a much greater possibility of falling in love as well."

Arya could not deny his logic, sharing feelings is a surefire method to ensure that two beings fall in love with each other. She was not opposed to the idea of Saphira and Eridor, she was actually very much supportive of it. "I was merely curious, that is all. We will be the closest family in Alagaësia in that case."

"Aye, and we will all die at the same time. If I die, then Saphira most likely will due to our bond, you will die because of our Malthinae Wyrdas and then Eridor will perish due to his bond with you. A grim notion, isn't it?" Eragon said in an unexpectedly cheery tone.

"Yes it is…" Arya said, trailing off in thought. Their destinies were so inexorably linked that even death would take them at the same time. "I suppose we will just have to do everything in our power to survive, won't we?"

Eragon gave her a funny look, but she couldn't quite place the emotions behind it. "And I thought you were supposed to be the logical one in this relationship. Surviving during a war against Galbatorix is easier said than done."

Arya looked at him crossly, perhaps Eragon was having _too _much of an influence over her. "But you have the power of the Vault of Souls now. Even Galbatorix cannot overpower you now."

"Yes, but I've never used it before. I don't know the exact amount of energy that I have and I don't know the limits of the power," Eragon said. "Not to mention Galbatorix could catch me with a spell that I do not know how to block."

"I trust that you will know what to do when the time comes, and that you will also kill Galbatorix," Arya said, surprised that she was being the optimist instead of Eragon. He definitely _was _influencing her far too much.

"Well we don't have to worry about that for a long time, do we? We can just enjoy the time we have right now," Eragon said, ending the bleak conversation abruptly.

"Yes we should," She agreed. Arya placed a quick kiss on Eragon's lips before pulling him towards their dragons who were laying peacefully in the grass, communicating through their minds. "I think it is time that we left this place, we have yet to spar today."

* * *

Author's Note:

Thought I'd post up this chapter today since it was done and all.

At this point, I think I can safely say that this story will be around 25 chapters long, give or take a few. So we're about 60% done with the story so far.

Thanks to all the people who always review every chapter :), you're the guys who keep me writing.

See you guys next week :)


	16. Hunting

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

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Chapter 16: Hunting

"When do you think they will return?" Arya asked for the umpteenth time that afternoon.

Eragon shrugged noncommittally, "Soon, they left hours ago. They can't be far now."

"I hope nothing has happened. It _was _Eridor's first hunting trip. What if he was attacked?" Arya asked, pacing back and forth in short, angry strides.

"I'm sure that Saphira would never let any harm come to Eridor," Eragon assured her. "My floor however is in imminent danger, you are going to permanently burn imprints of the soles of your feet into the wood if you continue to pace back and forth like a caged animal."

Arya flushed at his attempt to lighten the mood and abruptly stopped in her tracks. "Sorry, I am just nervous"

"I know, I know," He said in a soothing voice, "But breaking in my tree house will not settle your nerves. But perhaps a cup of tea will, would you like one?"

"Yes please. Jasmine tea with a hint of lemon if you don't mind," Arya said gratefully, willing to try any method to soothe her nerves.

Eragon nodded and quickly exited the room. He lit a magical fire for convenience and waited for the water to boil. When it was hot and steaming, Eragon added the requested ingredients and stirred it slowly, allowing the flavor to be distributed evenly in the cup.

"Here's your tea." Eragon said as he walked back into the room, offering the cup to Arya.

"Thank you," Arya said honestly before gently blowing on the liquid to cool it. Eragon watched as she took a careful sip from the cup to see if it was to her liking. His question was answered as Arya nodded subtly.

After a moment of silence, Arya looked up from her cup of tea and said, "I did not mean to be so uncontrolled with my emotions."

Eragon dismissed her notion with a lazy wave of the hand. How could he fault her when he knew _exactly _what she was feeling? "It is of no matter Arya. I can empathize with your feelings, Saphira was small once too."

"I keep forgetting," Arya admitted, "I never saw Saphira as a hatchling."

"She was quite the baby dragon when I was raising her on Garrow's farm," Eragon said chuckling.

"I can imagine, being her witty self now," Arya replied.

"Do you want to hear a story about us while we were still on the farm?" Eragon asked.

"Of course," Arya said, always eager to hear more of Eragon's childhood. "We don't have anything to do while we wait."

Eragon leaned back in his chair and made himself comfortable before embarking on his narrative. "When Saphira was recently hatched, I there was not enough meat stored to feed three mouths and Saphira. I was only able to sneak her meat for the first week or so before her appetite got so large that she could eat all of the provisions for the winter in a single day."

Eragon paused for a moment while he collected his thoughts on days long since passed. "After Saphira had grown too large to live inside the house, you know how dragons grow; I had to build her a tree house outside of the farm so that she could sleep without fear of being discovered by Garrow or Roran. Anyways, Saphira was even younger than Eridor is now when she first had to learn to hunt on her own. She would go out each day to hunt for food in the wilderness of the Spine and I was stuck worrying about Saphira in case she would meet game that was larger than her."

"How did you cope?" Arya asked inquisitively, leaning forward to listen to his monologue.

"At first, I didn't really," Eragon admitted. "I was always worried about Saphira running into a pack of wolves which frequent the Spine. I finally overcame that fear when one day, Saphira brought home a carcass of a fairly large wolf. It was pretty torn up, I won't go into all the gory details, but the wolf had rips and gashes all over the body. At first, I was worried that Saphira might have been injured from a particularly vicious battle with the wolf, but my fears were allayed when she assured me that she was unscathed. I suppose the moral of the story is that there is practically nothing in this world that can harm a dragon, even if it is just a mere hatchling. Especially not when there is a mother-like dragon around to protect it," He finished, needing a moment to catch his breath after the long-winded tale.

He wasn't sure what Arya's reaction would be, the part about the wolf was slightly over-the-top but necessary nonetheless. He was relieved when Arya gave him a small smile, indicating that she interpreted the story the way he intended. "Your tale is most appreciated Eragon, it certainly helped with my nerves."

"Of course Arya, it is my responsibility to give you reassurances," Eragon replied.

"I will not be completely normal until Eridor returns, but I do not fear for his safety like I did minutes ago," Arya said gratefully.

"And you should not. Dragons are the mightiest creatures in all of Alagaësia. Harm will not easily come their way," Eragon said.

"Yes, you are right," Arya said, their conversation coming to an abrupt hiatus. Neither had anything more to say to each other on the subject and elected to remain silent, waiting for their dragons to return than make pointless banter.

_We are coming back, _Saphira announced in his mind, disrupting Eragon's train of thought.

_Ah, thank goodness, _Eragon sighed, _Arya is worried out of her mind. Is Eridor harmed?_

_No, _She snorted, _He will never be harmed on my watch._

Eragon smiled ruefully at her tone, _It was just a question Saphira. All Arya has been able to think about has been Eridor's safety._

_Well now you can give her solid reassurances that Eridor is unharmed, _Saphira replied smugly.

_How soon will you be back? _Eragon asked.

_No more than five minutes. We are just outside the city's outer reaches, _Saphira informed him, much to his relief.

_Ok thank you, I will relay your message to Arya now, _Eragon said, severing their contact. "Arya, they will be here in a few minutes."

Her green eyes quickly looked up, meeting his brown ones, holding multitudes of unspoken questions within their depths. "Are they unharmed?"

"Of course, Saphira said and I quote, "No, he will never be harmed on my watch,"" Eragon told her.

Undisguised relief set upon her face. "Good, good. It was unlikely that Eridor would be harmed, but there is still always that chance."

"Indeed," Eragon agreed, remembering the countless times that Saphira had been in danger. "But you will thoroughly check every inch of Eridor regardless?"

"Of course." She shrugged, "Seeing and hearing are two different things. My fears will be fully allayed when I see him for myself."

Eragon grinned despite himself, there was no Rider who would not check their dragon after a dangerous undertaking. "You will have that chance soon, they cannot be far now."

A triumphant roar crackled through the air, shaking Eragon's tree house. "Well that was an understatement; they are here now," Eragon said, shaking his head.

Arya paid no attention to Eragon now as she bolted to the nearest window to catch a glimpse of the dragons. Her eyes intently studied the quickly approaching forms with no regard to any other matter around her. Eragon was stuck mopping up the mess on the floor, created when Arya jumped from her seat spilling her tea in the process.

As he threw the dirty towel off to the side, the ground shook beneath his feet as Saphira and Eridor landed heavily in his home. He examined them, sparing a cursory glance for Eridor to assure himself that Eridor was indeed unharmed. Eridor's scales looked as magnificently brilliant as they had when they departed hours ago, not a speck of dirt impeding the sunlight refracting off the glossy ovals. "I am glad you first hunting trip went well."

_Of course, Saphira protected me well, not that I needed protecting mind you, _Eridor said, lips coming up in a dragonish smile.

Saphira let out an amused snort, _Well…there was that one time when you—_

_Hush, _Eridor interrupted hastily.

"What happened?" Arya asked, pleased to find no injuries after her thorough examination.

Saphira's ribs shook from laughter, _Well, you see, we were hunting in the woods when-_

_Don't say anymore! _Eridor interrupted again. _It is too embarrassing. It is not necessary to tell others._

Saphira disregarded Eridor's pleas, _As I was saying, we were in the forest when Eridor spotted a lone deer. As he dove towards the deer, his tail connected with a rather large tree branch, dislodging it from the trunk. When the branch fell, it ceremoniously plunked Eridor's head causing him to fall to the ground. His collision scared the deer away before he could catch it._

"Were you hurt?' Arya asked, failing to find the anecdote amusing when her dragon was the butt of the joke.

_Of course not. I was fairly low to the ground by the time the branch hit me. I was just a bit disoriented and allowed the deer to escape, _Eridor said, as he let out a throaty hiss of frustration.

_There is nothing to be ashamed of. You were successful in your next attempt, _Saphira admonished.

"Nothing is wrong with a slight mishap every now and then," Eragon said, "I have had my share of unfortunate events."

_That you have Little One, _Saphira said smugly.

"Too many to count," Arya agreed, finding the current joke recipient much more agreeable.

"That is the last time I stick my dignity out for you," Eragon sniffed, "Look at what happens!"

_I did not laugh, I appreciate your sacrifice Eragon, _Eridor said, _Though it is your fault Saphira and Arya are so witty._

"It is." Eragon nodded his head in agreement. "But I will take this Arya over the one I rescued from Gil'ead any day."

"And I would take the current Eragon over the headstrong Eragon of the past," Arya retorted.

_Is he not still rash? _Saphira asked, not quite done with embarrassing Eragon yet.

"Not as rash. He still acts impulsively, but at least he has a head on his shoulders now," Arya explained.

"I had a head on my shoulders when we left Carvahall," Eragon protested indignantly.

_Perhaps. But it was quite empty. Attacking a group of Urgals with a pebble was not one of your glorious moments of brilliance, _Saphira replied, baring her sharp fangs into a smile.

"Or when you slid down Vol Turin alone to fight a Shade," Arya offered.

_Or when you decided to climb up a rock wall without my help and ending up getting stuck on a ledge in the middle._

"Or when you decided to trek through the heart of the Empire on foot with a captive."

_Don't forget about when you tried to woo Arya in a drunken elf stupor._

"Also, there was that time when you—"

"Okay, I think my dignity has taken enough abuse for one day, thank you very much," Eragon said, interrupting their outburst of memories.

_That was interesting, you will have to tell me about all of these escapades in great detail sometime, _Eridor said, speaking for the first time in several minutes as he had no past recollections of Eragon.

"I am sure that is wholly unnecessary Eridor, all of those are boring and lengthy. You would just be bored," Eragon assured him.

_I am not so certain Eragon. The 'wooing Arya' incident sounds very exciting, _Eridor said.

Both Eragon and Arya groaned inwardly, what had they gotten themselves into? Saphira answered for them, finding the situation, all-in-all, to be very entertaining. _I would be delighted to tell you 'all' about it. But another time, the subjects of that event are present and it would not do to have a blush forever imprinted upon their cheeks._

_Then another time? _Eridor pressed, not taking anything less than a 'yes' for an answer.

_Later, I promise, _Saphira said, sealing the deal.

* * *

Author's Note:

I am ashamed to say this is far and away my shortest chapter ever written to date. Even my one-shot is slightly longer. But this chapter accomplished the goals I had in mind and any extra information would have been unnecessary or out of place.

I am quite disappointed in the amount of reviews I received last chapter and I would _really _like it if more of my loyal readers would leave a note.

I hope you enjoyed reading, until next time.


	17. Heartfelt Goodbyes

I don't own the Inheritance Cycle or the characters.

* * *

Chapter 17: Heartfelt Goodbyes

"A message Argetlam," A messenger said, disturbing Eragon's peace in Tialdarí Hall's library.

Eragon took the message from the elf's outstretched arm, quickly scanning the seal. To his immense surprise, it bore the mark of the king of the dwarves. "Thank you." The messenger bowed his head before leaving Eragon in peace once more.

_I wonder what this could be about, _Eragon said distractedly.

_I don't know, _Saphira responded honestly.

Tearing the seal on the message, Eragon unfurled the parchment, eyes roving the length of the paper. His eyes opened wider than normal and his knuckles turned white as he read the words:

_Eragon,_

_ You are a trusted member of the D__û__rgrimst Ingeitum and I know that you would do anything in your power to aid your clan and your friend. It with a heavy heart that I inform you of the recent events that threaten the dwarven army's continued cooperation in the war and hope that this letter may reach you in time. _

_Not a week ago, mine own agents have reported troubling news concerning the dwarven homeland. The Az Sweldn rak Anh__û__in, with whom you are already well acquainted with, have decided not to remove Verm__û__nd from the position of grimstborith and as a result, a retaliatory attack was waged against the women and children remaining in our cities. _

_This overt act of war against the dwarves has forced my hand and I must return to Tronjheim to defend mine people. However, with speed needed to reach Tronjheim in time to prevent its destruction, only a thousand or so soldiers were able to be sent with me._

_The reason why I have written this letter is to ask for your assistance in quelling this rebellion. I am aware that you are currently preoccupied with training Arya as the next Dragon Rider, and a finer choice could not have been made, but without your assistance, the dwarven state will erupt into a scene of unbridled chaos and anarchy. A massive withdrawal of troops from the Varden's cause would be necessary to halt the revolution in its tracks, which I am sure would be devastating to both you and the Varden. _

_If you would help me personally quench this uprising of authority, then we will at long last rid ourselves of the Az Sweldn rak Anhûin and keep the remaining forces with Nasuada and the Varden. If you will come to my aid, then please return to Tronjheim as quickly as humanely possible. We will meet you there._

_Your brother and friend,_

_Grimstnzborith Orik._

_Why would Vermûnd do this? To his own people? _Eragon asked, his head spinning in a dizzy rage.

_I cannot say, I have not spent enough time with the dwarves to truly understand them. Perhaps Orik can shed some light on the situation, _Saphira said.

_Should we go to Tronjheim to help Orik?_ Eragon asked.

_We should, but then Arya and Eridor would be left alone. This is the time when they need us the most; Eridor is still maturing and is just discovering his mental capacities and physical attributes._

_I agree with you Saphira, but if we don't go, then the Varden will be put into an extremely vulnerable situation. Not to mention that I am part of Orik's clan now; I am responsible for the wellbeing of the dwarven people, _Eragon said, his mind flying through the many possible solutions and outcomes.

_The answer is simple then, we go to Tronjheim immediately and end the rebellion as quickly as possible so that we may return, _Saphira advised.

_Yes, that would be best. We leave tomorrow morning, it is getting late now and a good night's sleep will help us travel faster._

* * *

Eragon quietly approached the silent silhouette in the shadow of the trees. "Arya?"

The shadow turned around, green eyes piercing through the rapidly growing darkness between them. "Eragon? What are you doing here, it is late."

"I followed your trail to here," Eragon replied shrugging uneasily, "But where is 'here' anyways?"

"This is a place I often come to think alone. The peace and solitude helps clear my mind and allows me to focus," She answered.

"I apologize for intruding Arya svit-kona."

Her gaze caught his and penetrated deep into his soul, laying all of his secrets out through his mind's eye. "What is wrong Eragon?"

"Why would you assume something is wrong?" Eragon asked, raising his eyebrow.

"You haven't used an honorific after my name for a very long time. A simple observation," She answered smoothly. "So what is bothering you Eragon?"

Eragon sighed, running a hand through his hair. He was hesitant to tell her, but it was his duty. "A message came today. From Orik."

"Orik? Why would he send you a message?" Arya asked.

Eragon closed his eyes, concealing the torment raging within him. "The Az Sweldn rak Anhûin have stirred up trouble again. They are attacking the unprotected citizens left in the cities."

"What? I knew that Vermûnd had been banished, but to attack his own people? That is folly," Arya protested.

"I know it is, but Orik has called on me to help him settle the matter or else he will be forced to withdraw his troops from the Varden. I must go to his aid," Eragon replied.

"I agree, the dwarves must not abandon the Varden," Arya said, "When do we leave?"

Eragon did not miss her reference and hesitated before he spoke again. "I must go alone Arya."

Her sharp features snapped up to Eragon's face quickly. "What do you mean going alone? You can't leave me and Eridor here."

"We must," He started softly, "There will be danger where we are going. Eridor is not ready to face that yet."

Arya marched right up to Eragon and jabbed her finger into his chest. "That is exactly why you can't go alone. It is dangerous."

If nothing else, Eragon had thought that the idea of Eridor going into immense danger would force Arya to back down. But her insistence at going was chipping away slowly at his already flimsy resolve. "I'm sorry Arya, but I can't allow Eridor to be put deliberately into danger. As his mentor, it is my first priority to keep him away from all danger. Besides, I can defend myself."

"The Az Sweldn rak Anhûin are dangerous Eragon, you should not be fighting them alone," Arya pressed.

Eragon grabbed her shoulders lightly so that he could look straight into her eyes, "I will not be alone. Saphira will be with me, as will Orik and other dwarves."

"Yes, against all of the men in the Az Sweldn rak Anhûin clan. They will greatly outnumber you," Arya said bitterly.

He stared at her queerly, her lack of confidence in him was surprising. "I can handle myself. The Az Sweldn rak Anhûin don't pose a great threat to me."

"The most dangerous type of enemy is a passionate one. That is exactly what the Az Sweldn rak Anhûin are, dwarves who passionately hate you with all their heart," Arya rebuked, shooting down his reassurances faster than he could think of them.

"I'm afraid I don't understand. Oromis taught me that logic is the most useful tool a person can have," Eragon said, recalling one of his first lessons from Oromis.

"You confuse the difference between useful and dangerous. Logic is certainly a most useful tool. Thinking will help a man to worm his way out of particularly uncomfortable situations," Arya explained, folding her arms across her chest, looking like a mother admonishing her child. It only enforced the ever-present age gap between them. "Passion on the other hand will make a man fight harder. If he believes that what he is doing is morally right, he will never stop trying to kill you, even if it puts him in mortal danger. The best example I can give you is Roran's determination to be reunited with Katrina. He was able to do things he normally couldn't do due to his passion for Katrina. A passionate man will throw his life away to stop you and will not cease until he is killed."

"I am not worried Arya. They may want to kill me for being banished, but I am equally as determined to live. Saphira and I have too much to live for," Eragon said, looking meaningfully at Arya.

A faint blush graced her cheeks, but she still remained calm and composed. "I am still worried for you Eragon. You and Saphira. There is always a chance that a stray sword will kill you. No man is invincible."

"Do you trust me?" Eragon asked, meeting her eyes. There was a spark of an unfathomable emotion in her eyes before her usual cool stare returned.

Arya placed a cool hand over his cheek. "With my life," She answered unflinchingly.

Eragon felt his heart swell with the assurance that she had broken down the walls around her heart and so completely trusted him. "Then trust me to return to you."

She studied his eyes for a time, long enough to make Eragon afraid that she did not trust him to that extent. "I trust you."

Those three simple words meant more to Eragon than almost anything in the world. Almost. "I love you," He said, holding her steady gaze. "Saphira and I will do everything necessary to return to you and Eridor as quickly as possible."

Arya's eyes swirled with a mixture of emotions and he felt dizzy just looking at them. But he did not tear his gaze away, the endless depths of her eyes captivated him and found himself unable to look away. "I love you too." Her hand on his cheek guided him closer, drawing him towards her until their lips were touching.

His hands dropped to Arya's waist and pulled her closer, willing the moment to last forever. He could feel her hands travel to the nape of his neck, eliminating any remaining space between them. When they broke apart, gasping for air, Eragon said, "I think that when I am in Tronjheim, this is what I will miss the most."

Arya gave him one of her bright smiles that she seldom showed anyone else. "Then you had better hurry back."

* * *

_Eridor, _Saphira said, padding into the empty clearing.

_Saphira? What are you doing here? _Eridor asked.

_I came here to tell you that, _Saphira paused, nervous of what she was about to say. When Eragon had gotten a panicky look when the thought of telling Arya of the trip came to mind, Saphira had believed that she would not or should not feel worried about telling Eridor that they were leaving. Now however, she was not so sure. _Eragon and I are departing for Tronjheim tomorrow._

_Tronjheim? Where is that? _

Under normal circumstances, this question would have provided for a modicum of amusement for awhile, but right now, Saphira was too preoccupied in her own thoughts to tease Eridor for it. _You should know this, I taught you that Tronjheim is the dwarven capital last week._

_Oh, right. I guessed that Tronjheim was either the dwarven capital or dark monument in Dras-Leona, _Eridor answered cheekily, blissfully ignorant of the events around him.

She sighed in exasperation, at this rate, Eridor's inattentiveness during her lessons was prolonging the dreaded departure. _No, what you are thinking of is Helgrind._

_I thought that the monument in Dras-Leona was called Utgard! _Eridor exclaimed, suddenly worried that he had mixed up all the names of landmarks in Alagaësia.

_No, Utgard is the place where Vrael was killed by Galbatorix, _Saphira informed him. _But forget your poor memory for a second, we will fix that at a later time. I came here to tell you that Eragon and I are going to be in Tronjheim putting down a rebellion. We don't know when we will return._

_But I don't think that I can keep up with you yet over a long distance. _Eridor shuffled his wings, conscious of the fact that he was still much smaller than Saphira.

_You are not coming with us. You and Arya shall remain in the safe confines of Ellesméra. _Saphira felt much better now that she had said the words, but was still worried over his reaction. Eragon had told her that Arya would become very angry when he told her. But she did not know yet what Eridor's reaction would be.

_What? Arya and I have a right to go with you. You can't just leave his here by ourselves. _Eridor started walking around the clearing, leaving angry footprints in his wake.

_You are too young to be fighting. You will be in danger. We cannot allow it, _Saphira said firmly. There was absolutely nothing that Eridor could say to change her mind.

_Even so, you cannot stop me. I will fly alongside you with Arya on my back. I am sure she will not wish to be left behind either, _Eridor stated.

_Eragon is talking with Arya now as we speak. I am sure he will convince Arya to stay behind._

_You still can't stop me from going. You and Eragon are the only friends I have, we are family. Family does not abandon each other, _Eridor said, determined to accompany her.

The way Eridor put it made the offer much more appealing, but Saphira had her mind made up long before this conversation even started. _I am your teacher, right? _

_Yes, of course. _Eridor sounded taken aback. The question had seemingly come out of nowhere.

_And as your teacher, that means you follow my instructions. As your teacher and mentor, I forbid you from coming with Eragon and I. _Saphira hated to coerce Eridor into staying like this, but it was necessary. Necessary that she did everything in her power to keep Eridor away from the dangers of the outside world. For a time anyways.

His head sank down past his large shoulders in defeat. Saphira could see that he desperately searched for a way around her reasons, any play on words would suffice. But none came to mind. _Fine, you win, _He said, sulking. _But know that I am not pleased in the slightest by this._

Saphira felt light and unburdened again, the worst of the conversation had passed. _As long as you are safe and alive, you do not have to be pleased by this decision._

_Even if I am safe, what am I to do here in Ellesméra? Paint my talons while you are off eating dwarves? _Eridor grumbled, still upset by the recent turn of events.

_Arya is very knowledgeable in the history of Alagaësia. You will have to learn some from her, even if it is not about dragons, _Saphira said.

_I think that Arya will be too preoccupied worrying about Eragon to teach me, _Eridor said, confident in his assessment of Arya.

Saphira was not so easily dissuaded and easily came up with half a dozen alternatives in her head. _Then you will just have to ask another elf to teach you about the history of Alagaësia._

Eridor grumbled again, _Elves are too polite. They will be too busy calling me Brightscales to teach me adequately._

_You will figure something out, you are very intelligent, even if you don't always appear to be so. _Saphira was eager to end this conversation; she was not in the mood to deal with Eridor's petty excuses.

Saphira unfurled her wings and started to walk away; she needed to get some sleep for the upcoming journey. Before she flew into the night sky, she turned and looked into Eridor's eyes, _By the time I return, I expect you to know the correct names of each place in Alagaësia._

* * *

Author's Note:

Hi all, I hope you liked this chapter. I wasn't originally going to put the Saphira and Eridor section in, but I decided that they needed some relationship building.

On a random note, I just finished _The Sword of Truth _series and I personally thought it was great, especially the first book. I recommend it to anybody who enjoys fantasy/adventure/romance novels.

Thank you all for the reviews you gave for chapter 16, I expect nothing less now :).

Next update will be next weekend as usual.


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